


SoulTale Nuzlocke: Johto

by Aisheyru_Fox



Category: Pocket Monsters: HeartGold & SoulSilver | Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver Versions, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Based off my Nuzlocke Run in Soul Silver, Don't judge!, Enter the world of Pokemon with Sans the Skeleton!, Gen, Mom Paps, Okay maybe judge!, Papyrus is the mom lol, Pokemon - Freeform, Pokemon Journey, Pokemon Undertale crossover!, Sans Needs A Hug, Sans Skeleton, Sans is now a trainer?, Sans will need many hugs, Sans-centric, it's a crossover, skelepun, what?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2018-12-08 13:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11647203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aisheyru_Fox/pseuds/Aisheyru_Fox
Summary: “Would you like to…become a trainer Sans?”Yup, that's right. Sans woke up this morning and now he is a trainer. Weird, huh?It gets better, because the professor wants him to go to Mr. Pokemon's house. Simple right? But it doesn't stop there, oh, no. Now he's on a mission; becoming the champion of Johto. Not exactly what the lazy Skelepun dreamed of but...hey...why not?That's what you do when you live in the world of Pokemon. Yup, everything is totally normal.Yet Sans swears there is something weird going on. Why can't he shake the feeling that he's not meant to be here? How come some of these "Pokemon" are acting so...murderous? Where are all these random memories coming from? And what do all these nightmares mean?Oh well, might as well go along with it, yeah? After all, new buddies to meet, new places to see, and Pokemon all over the place! Maybe a lot more violent then he would like but hey, there are still fun times ahead! What could possibly go wrong?





	1. Prologue

_[Please little one…you must remain calm…]_

_He gently nuzzled the shivering individual in front of Him, frowning in concern as the creature let out another pained scream. The overwhelming panic He sensed became tinged with desperate anger as He neared the First on the ground. With an aggressive shout, the Second laid himself over the limp form, lashing out at Him until he backed away. The poor thing was so frightened…_

_A huff of warm air behind Him announced the presence of His sister. [Hours you have worked and yet the screaming continues! Have you **still** not been able to alter its mind?] He sighed at the hateful tone in Her voice. Her anger at His decision had not yet abated._

_[He, dear sister. And…no…he is still proving to be…resistant to my attempts…]_

_[Unlike our previous pick.] The response was harsh, prodding, a silent “I told you so” that made Him turn with an angry growl of His own._

_[My thoughts still stand! This one stands a better chance! I am sure of it!]_

_[We need to have control!] She screeched, rising to Her full height and glaring at Him. [The First completely succumbed to our attempts! He will be the one! He has to be the one! The one who will finally stand up to-] A warning hiss from Her brother made Her pause. With a huff, She tried a different approach._

_[You have spent many hours attempting the same of this one. And yet **he** still refuses to cooperate! His mind and soul are too set, too **tainted!** And his body is weak! Your attempts will either fail or perhaps-] Here She cast a disgusted look towards the source of Her ire, Her eyes gleaming with hopeful vindictiveness._

_[Perhaps you will…destroy him.]_

_[Tis true he is harder to…control.] He pretended to ignore the underlying meaning of her statement as He gazed back towards the duo on the ground. He had been hasty, and His actions could very well complicate everything They were striving for…_

_A soft smile formed on His face as he took in the scene before Him. The Second was cradling the limp form of the First, whispering comforting words and glaring at the both of Them fiercely. This clear act of devotion cast away His doubts._

_[I still believe he is the one we have been looking for. Look at him sister.] He leaned forward to touch His nose to the tiny creature’s head. The Second was frozen by His telekinetic grip, unable to do anything more than tremble as his soul was brought forth again._

_[ Tainted.] She hissed in disgust, eyeing the cracked and battered soul askance._

_[And yet can you deny my words? Look! His love for the other. It’s so strong.] He whispered, watching the brilliant thread of emotion shining behind the cracks._  
_[He can do this sister. The other is too kind. Too forgiving.]_

_[Yet this one is apathetic, stubborn, and lazy!]_

_[But, observant. Intelligent. **Loving**. He loves so strongly.] He turned towards Her, eyes determined. _ _[His love alone, I think, will be enough. He has the ability, he just needs…a gentle nudge in the right direction. I will continue to work with him. I know my efforts will succeed.] He shook his head firmly as She opened Her mouth, cutting off further argument._

_[I know your doubts, Sister. Your fears. I ask that you have faith in my plans but…if you really need further assurance, summon our servants. We will test him.]_

_She huffed and turned Her back on Him. [Fine. Test away **dear** brother.] She retorted in a mocking voice. [Test away until the damnable beast is BROKEN! He **will** fail. You will have no choice. The First will succeed where the Second will fall!] Thrusting Her head forward, she snagged the First in a golden glow and drew him to Her, ignoring the pleading murmurs from the quivering form on the ground._

_[I will ready the town for their arrival] Her voice was acidic as She momentarily looked back to Him. [Hopefully you will ALSO be ready by **then**.] With that She left, Her final words echoing in the darkness. He sighed quietly, looking down towards His shivering charge. A surge of sympathy ran through Him and He let out a hum, watching as the small being slumped to the ground in a deep sleep. Pressing His muzzle to the tiny chest, He gazed benignly at him._

_[You will not fail little one. I foresee great things for you. You have strength! You just need to be taught how to use it. I will guide you. I promise.] The soul’s memories were coaxed forward, images of friends and family glittering on the light blue surface. He tried again and again to rewrite the Second’s thoughts, frustrated as He met the same results. His Sister’s lingering message replayed in His mind, and He let out a provoked growl. Why was this so difficult? How could this creature’s mind be so strong?_

_[If I could just…think of something!] Exhaling heatedly, His brain began to work frantically. [What to do, what to do…That’s it!] He crowed as a sudden idea formed in His head. The Second could not be controlled, but perhaps he could be persuaded by different means. His memories could not be changed, but they could be hidden, and new ones could temporarily be formed! Why had He not thought of that before?_

_After a moment’s hesitation He picked out one of the many recollections shimmering on the soul’s surface; ~~knocking on a door and a woman’s kindly voice laughing.~~ Delicately He coaxed the memory to withdraw into the recesses of the Second’s psyche. The small being let out a gasp, body arching and hands clawing frantically. Pain, hot and sharp as a needle, trickled into His senses as the figure before Him began to thrash on the ground._

_This would be tricky. He would have to be patient, precise, and very careful._

_[Do not fear.] He soothed, brushing the tiny forehead as gently as He could in what He hoped was a comforting gesture. Eyes illuminating the area, He slowly created a new image, pulling necessary pieces of information from the Second’s mind and mixing in knowledge from His own world. The process took a bit longer than He would have liked, but He needed to be absolutely sure everything was perfect. The last thing They needed was for this perceptive little creature to figure out what was really going on before…_

_Well…no that would not happen. He would not let that happen. Could not. He would make sure that everything would work. For the sake of Their home…_

_Nodding in resolution, He pushed the new image to the Second, watching with hopeful eyes as the picture reflected momentarily across his soul. Would he accept?_  
_There was a moment’s silence before, with a tired sigh, the “memory” was acknowledged; the original fading to a ghostly imprint in the recesses of his soul. The creature relaxed, beads of sweat trickling down his head as the pain ebbed away. Trilling in pleasure at His success, He started again, pulling up a reflection of ~~a group laughing in what looked like…a bar? Someone called out something~~ and He smiled._

_[Ah…so **that** is your name…]_

_One by one the memories were replaced and He hummed contentedly as He worked. Many hours passed until, with a pleased sound He was finished. Though a temporary solution, this would buy Him time to figure out how to actually adjust this one’s mind and soul. Until then…He would take what He could get. His Sister would never know! Nodding to Himself in agreement, He lowered His gaze back to the ground._

_The Second lay on the ground, his face finally peaceful as his body began to adjust to the new information given to him. A silvery glow surrounded his form and he was lifted to hover before Him._

_[I have given all I can give you for now...Sans…] He crooned, nuzzling the tiny form gently. The figure stirred slightly, murmuring as he slowly opened his eyes. Looking up, he stared uncomprehendingly as the Being’s eyes glowed and He let out a loud roar._

_[Sans! Are you ready? Your very own tale of grand adventure is about to unfold. Fun experiences, difficult experiences…There is so much waiting for you! Dreams! Adventure! You are now about to enter the world…of Pokémon!] His smile became sad and a feeling of anxious hope overwhelmed Him. There was so much…resting on this poor creature’s shoulders…He had faith however, despite His sister’s doubts. He truly believed He had made the right choice._

_[I will see you later.] He promised. [Though the road will be challenging…though the dangers great…I know you will succeed.] He nodded to the Second…no…to **Sans** in an encouraging manner._

_[You will be the saving of us all!]_


	2. Starting Off

A warm shaft of sunlight streaming delicately over his head was what woke up the skeleton monster. The gentle heat soaked into his skull and phalanges, causing tired fingers to curl and lidded eye sockets to crack slightly open. He lay in his bed, blanket a creased ball of fabric tucked between his legs and around his waist. The ever present grin widened slightly as, with a pleased groan, he stretched his body and basked in the welcoming sunbeam. That felt good. Real good.

Sans could hear the sounds of pans rattling and the ticking of the stove from downstairs. This was accompanied by loud banging noises and the occasional “Nyeh heh heh!” of his brother. Which could only mean that Papyrus was already preparing his usual dish of choice. By the time the older skele-bro finally emerged from his room he could bet a big heaping plate of spaghetti would be waiting at his spot at the table.

His lids lowered and he took comfort in these sounds; so familiar and welcoming to his tired mind. A huge yawn escaped from his mouth and he settled back onto the mattress with a sigh. Perhaps he could get a few more winks before Paps came running up to pound on his door.

Nestling into the ball of cloth that was his blanket, Sans closed his eyes. The sunshine tickled the top of his skull almost playfully, lulling him into a light doze before the realization that something was off entered his thoughts.

_The sun’s real bright today…_

Sans sat up rather abruptly, eye sockets widening almost impossibly as he stared in disbelief at his window. Sunlight streamed forth, bathing the floor in a glowing gold. The rays of light were so bright, warm. _And impossible_ a small voice whispered, causing a concerned tug on the edges of his grin. The skeleton monster edged himself off his bed and walked calmly over to peer through the glass. The sight that met his eye sockets cause him to gasp.

The sun was gleaming brilliantly against a bright blue sky; not a single sign of clouds or storms. Grass, green and healthy, perked up under the life giving rays. A scattering of flowers splashed a pattern of soft reds and yellows against the greenery. Birdsong lent a calm and welcoming air to the lovely scene. He could not help but draw in a quick breath, the lights in his eye sockets glowing in stunned appreciation. How beautiful…

The scenery was not the only thing that both fascinated and bewildered him. People…humans….playing and walking and talking. Faces familiar and unrecognizable at the same time, smiling and laughing and occasionally choosing to look back up at him and wave. He uncertainly waved back, blinking in confusion.

All of this was so familiar…but something, he kept telling himself, was very off.

A part of his mind hesitantly asked him where the snow was and he shook his head in wonder. There was no snow. They were in the middle of spring, the weather was perfectly warm. And yet…he swore _there should be snow on the ground._ Pain cut a small trek through his skull, and he clutched his head tightly as his mind battled with itself. Something was not right. These things, these people, they looked so familiar. He knew them, but he did not know them. This weather was expected but how could the sun shine _down_ here? Why was there sunshine when there should have been snow? Why did he expect snow?

A small pained cry escaped his mouth, and he stepped away from the window, his jaw clenching as his mind struggled to assess the situation. _Too much!_ His mind screamed. _This is too much!_ Clutching his skull, he let out a groan.

Something must have been sympathetic at the moment. Almost as if by magic, small nuggets of information appeared out of nowhere and were processed; who this person was, where he was at, and what was going on.

Ah…that was right…he and Papyrus had moved to…New Bark? They had been living there for several years due to an…incident? What incident? He cringed as his brain screamed internal profanities at his curiosity, a throbbing ache beginning to develop in the back of his head. Rubbing at the area gingerly, he set that question aside for later and set to sorting faces; seizing images of a small brunette girl with a cheerful face ( _Lyra?)_ that visited from time to time and a taller man with glasses and a thirst for knowledge ( _Oh! Professor Elm!)_ and so on _._ Then there were the Pokémon _(Images of a small blue mouse creature…Marill? There were more…but oh his mind ached!)_ Battles taking place, journeys being made, champions being named. Slowly he began to recognize each idea, stunned that he had forgotten.

Or had he? He munched the uncertainty of that question for a bit. There was a small doubt settled like a buzzing bee in his noggin, repeating the same phrase over and over like a broken record; _something’s wrong, something’s wroooong._ There were images, faded and dull but still imprinted into the recesses of his cranium. An uncharacteristic scowl crossed his face and he stared at the floor almost angrily before tucking those thoughts away for later. He would figure this out eventually, by hook or by crook, but for now…let sleeping dogs lie.

With a decisive nod of his head he grabbed his hoodie and slipped into his sneakers near his bed. Pulling a sleeve over his arm he slowly trotted out of his room to the stair case when a suddenly flurry of footsteps startled him. The towering figure of his brother filled his vision and he had only a moment to witness the look of astonishment on Papyrus's face before they collided.

There was a small outburst of surprise on both ends as the skele-bros ended up rolling downstairs and landing with a thud on the floor. A series of deep chuckles rumbled from Sans earning a noise of contempt from his younger brother. Untangling themselves, Papyrus stood up and brushed himself off.

“Well brother, I’m almost impressed. Out of bed before I fetch you and…halfway dressed.”

“Yeah…sorta just woke up bro.”

“I still fail to see why you persist in napping all night!” The taller skeleton shook his head, earning a chuckle from Sans, “Nevertheless, you are up now and we must hurry.” Grabbing the smaller monster’s arm he began dragging him towards the kitchen. “The faster you eat the faster you can meet Professor Elm. We both know this is important to him-“

“Wait…uh…hold the phone. What’s important?” His question made Papyrus skid to a halt and look at him in dumbfounded astonishment. The look was quickly replaced by one of fury at the nonplussed expression Sans was giving him.

“You mean…you honestly don’t remember? Sans we’ve only talked about this for the past couple of days!” Papyrus huffed, “You. Going on an important errand for Professor Elm. Today. In a half an hour!” Sans continued to look confused, only adding to the other’s ire. “SANS THIS IS IMPORTANT! I can’t believe you would forget. I’ve been reminding you for…well every chance I get!”

“Eh…” Sans titled his head, contemplating, before blinking as a thought slid almost magically into his mind. Professor Elm had asked him to do a favor and run down to…Mr. Pokémon? “Oh….Oh! I remember now. Yeah, run down to ** _Pfft_** Mr.… ** _Pfft_** Pokemon’s.” Here the older brother broke into a series of loud snickering as Papyrus repeatedly stomped his foot.

“That is not funny! Enough of your japing at the expense of people’s names!” He gave an infuriated sigh, then smiled. “Well I am glad to see you remember now! I have prepared a healthy meal to start your day! Come!” Seizing Sans by the arm he proceeded to haul the smaller to the table. Sans eye sockets widened when he saw…and smelled the food. Instead of the predicted pasta, a delicious aroma of breakfast food lay before him.  

“Hey Pap…this looks great and all but uh…where’s your spaghetti?” He asked as he sat down.

“Spaghetti is not a breakfast food Sans, you know that!” Came the cheerful reply. “Now then, eat quickly,” Here he took the opportunity to shovel a large forkful of eggs into Sans’s mouth, “You are most fortunate that the Professor lives right next to us!” A wagging finger in his direction accentuated this statement as Papyrus sat in the chair opposite.

“Mmf, guess so.” Sans coughed, nearly choking on the hot food. Swallowing, he brought another forkful into his mouth. The taste was…

…indescribably awesome….

He made a pleased noise as he tucked into the food eagerly. Delicious! Paps must have been working really hard on his cooking. He noted the muffins on nearby plate and took one, humming in appreciation at the warm bready taste.

A sudden flurry of motion caught their attention as a blue rodent-like creature burst through the open window. Chattering excitedly, the creature’s eyes roved the room until they landed on the older skele-bro. With a squeal of delight, the mouse _(Marill?...yeah Marill)_ launched herself at him, nearly toppling the male out of his chair as she clung to his shoulder.

_[“Sans! Sansguesswhat! Lyrawaschasingmeandshealmostcaughtme! ThenIsawyouwereupanddecidedtovisit. Shewon’tfindmewillshe? Oh! Thislooksgood! CanIhavesome?”]_

“Heya you mouse thing you.” Sans greeted, his momentary confusion dissipating as another random memory clicked in his mind. Michi was renown throughout the neighborhood for running off, which meant Lyra was gonna blow her top again. Oh well. Chuckling, the skeleton monster ruffled the Marill’s ears affectionately before offering her a muffin. An offer of free food seldom goes ignored and soon she was nibbling happily, every once in a while nudging the side of his skull with her nose.

“Michi your constant running away from your trainer needs to stop this moment!” Papyrus scolded, “You know better. She’s probably very worried!”

“S'no big deal bro,” The older skele-bro waved a hand, “Everyone knows who she is and who she belongs to. Not like anyone would hurt her or anything. I can just return her when I got to Elm’s, yeah?” Standing up he wolfed down the rest of his eggs, ignoring the disapproving tsking noises Papyrus made at Michi. The Marill Climbed onto his back, clinging to his hoodie with her front paws and nuzzling his cheek happily. Patting her head, he made his way to the door, only pausing to call back to the other over his shoulder, “Thanks for the breakfast Papyrus, tasted great. Be back in a bit.”

“Nyeh heheh, only the best from the Great Papyrus.” His brother agreed, “I’ll see you soon brother.” Sans waved in reply then walked out of the house.

He had to allow himself a moment to get use to the bright sunlight before he strolled casually towards the lab. Thankfully, as Paps had said, Elm lived not too far away from the skelebros and the walk only took a couple of minutes. Having greeted a couple of friends (?), he paused in front of the lab door before knocking and letting himself in.

As per usual the lab was in a state of somewhat organized chaos, alternating from assistants discussing the latest bit of information dredged from the fields to others buried up to their ears in paperwork. At the end of the room stood Elm himself, chatting with an animated young girl fidgeting in irritation in front of him. Sans could hear snatches of conversation as he strolled towards them.

 “She keeps running off Professor, I don’t know what I’m going to do!”

 “Well I’m sure she’ll turn up. No need to get upset. Oh! Well well, speak of the devil. Looks like Sans found her.”

 The girl turned as Elm pointed at the skeleton monster, sighing in relief before putting on a stern face.

 “Michi you naughty Marill! You got inside Sans and Papyrus’s house again didn’t you?”

“Hey, it’s alright.” Sans soothed, stretching his arm so the blue mouse could launch herself into Lyra’s arms. “We don’t mind visitors. Besides, the more the merrier and all that, yeah?” Chuckling, he slid his hands into his pockets and gave her a teasing wink that made her face turn a bright shade of red. The brunette held tight to the squirming Pokémon and thanked Sans gratefully before excusing herself and dashing away. He could hear her soft scolding and imagined the little Marill was getting an earful for running off again.

 “Well, all’s well that ends well.” The Professor smiled, “I’m glad to see you’re here on time Sans. I’ve just received another message from Mr. Pokémon. He has a habit of finding unusual things and getting excited but he swears this time its real. I am very grateful you agreed to help me out.”

 “Hey, what are neighbors for?” Sans grinned, earning a smile in return. “After all, friends in need.”

 “Are friends indeed!” Elm laughed, “Well, I thank you again. As entertaining as it is to see what Mr. Pokémon has found unfortunately I don’t always have time. There’s just so much to do.” Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose he sighed. “And his discoveries are often…not as imperative to our research as he thinks. Needless to say…” Sans blinked as the man walked over to a tall circular machine and motioned for him to follow.

 “The walk is rather long, he lives a little past Cherrygrove on Route 30. I’m certain you will have many encounters of the Pokémon kind so…I have somewhat of a…proposition for you. I hate to sound needy and ask for more but Papyrus told me neither one of you has a Pokémon of your own?” Sans nodded affirmative, eye sockets crinkling in amusement when the professor grimaced.

“Well, I’m sure you are well aware that wild Pokémon will not hesitate to jump out at you. Curious little creatures, and most of the time friendly but some…some can be a bit on the territorial side. Knowing that I was sending you on an errand without a Pokémon partner to protect you alarmed me. Then I realized something.” He pressed a couple of keys on the side of the machine and something clicked before the top slid open, revealing three red and white orbs nestled safely inside. The skeleton monster watched in amazement as small hologram images appeared above each ball; a green sauropod looking plant creature, a blue bipedal crocodile with red spines, and a small blackish blue hedgehog looking animal with closed eyes.

 “I have the feeling these are unfamiliar Pokémon to you. I know you’ve seen Marill thanks to Lyra. And maybe some of the more popular ones on Television, such as Pikachu?” An image of a yellow mouse looking creature popped into his head and he nodded.

“These Pokémon are rather rare. This one is Chikorita.” He pointed at the dino-plant. “Totodile.” The crocodile looking one. “And finally Cyndaquil.” He finished, motioning to the little fiery hedgehog.

 “These three are typical starter Pokémon in Johto, reserved for novice trainers. However, we’ve hit upon something interesting. Pokémon are generally kept in poke balls. This makes it easy to carry your Pokémon anywhere you want. But, before poke balls were invented people use to walk with their Pokémon. We believe that this could affect how they bond with their trainer and potentially how they grow!” Here his smile widened, and he spread his hands in the air dramatically.

“So, with that in mind I set these three specifically aside in order to test this theory. Knowing that you do not have a Pokémon, I was hoping you might consider taking one of these starters to be your partner and helping us to study this theory.” He clasped his hands together, an almost pleading look on his face. Taken rather aback, Sans’s eye sockets widened as he glanced towards the images of the little critters. Elm was…giving him one of these guys? Was he for real?

“I know you have never expressed interest in being a trainer.” He turned back to the man as he spoke up again, “And taking that responsibility without due cause…I know I’m asking a lot…B-but this would help make immense progress on our research! So I thought, why not ask? So…” There was a moment’s pause as the professor struggled to speak before, with a sigh, his hands flopped to his sides. Giving the Skeleton a hopeful look he asked,

“Would you like to…become a trainer Sans?”

“You kiddin’?” The Professor’s face dropped a bit before becoming startled as the grin on Sans’s face grew larger.

“For real? One of these little guys gets to come with me?” The professor nodded, beaming.

 “Man. That is COOL.”

“So you’ll help?”

“Yeah, I’m sure we’ll have a skele-ton of fun.” Sans nodded, eyes glowing good naturedly. Elm clapped his hands together again, laughing at the other’s humor.

“Excellent! Thank you so much Sans! You’ll be doing us a huge favor. Alright go ahead and pick which one you’d like to take with you!”

“Hmmm…” The skeleton monster peered at each image questioningly. Which one, which one? They all looked pretty cool.

After a moment he placed a hand on Cyndaquil’s poke ball.

“You’ll take Cyndaquil, the Fire-type Pokémon?” At the affirmative from Sans the Professor beckoned him to follow.

“Excellent! Before we introduce you to your partner there’s just a bit of paperwork for your trainer card. Name, gender, blah blah blah. You know the kind.”

“Heh heh heh, sure.”

“Alright just fill this right here. And this, yes that’s right.”

Roughly ten minutes and a rather amusing photograph session later, Professor Elm handed Sans his card then eagerly made his way back over to the machine. Plucking the Poke ball from the slot he placed the small device in the skeleton monster’s hands. There was a moment of silence as Sans contemplated the red and white orb before he looked at Elm, sockets crinkling in amusement.

“So you uh…wanna show me how to activate this thing?”

“Oh! Right, right, sorry. Here, hold it out like this.” Sans imitated the man, blinking as a red beam of light shot from the center of the poke ball and hit the floor. The light gathered, solidifying into a small ball of black and butter fur. The creature uncurled, a hesitant snout snuffling this way and that before peering up at Sans. Face scrunched in obvious confusion, the Pokemon’s eyes opened slightly to scrutinize him.  The Skeleton could tell the little critter was a bit nervous. Not surprising considering they were most likely unused to monsters. Offering a friendly grin, he shuffled slowly over. A quizzical look came onto the Pokemon’s face, muzzle quivering slightly when the skeleton slowly kneeled and offered his hand. Small paws brushed against his phalanges, while half-lidded red eyes stared at him with hesitant curiosity. After a minute pause a small quiet voice asked,

[…You are…my trainer?]

“Guess so, but that’s kinda a weird name, yeah? Just call me Sans.” Came the teasing response. A flicker of surprise crossed the fire Pokemon’s face.

[You…can understand what I am saying?]

“Uh…yeah?” Pseudo-brows scrunching together, he tilted his head inquiringly at the Cyndaquil. Plain English wasn’t hard to understand. “I can hear just fine. Why, what’s the-“

An incredulous noise caused them both to turn their head. Elm was staring at the skeleton in slack jawed astonishment.

“Wait…are you….actually speaking with….you you can…understand what….what your Pokémon is saying?” He gestured wildly at Sans.

“…is…that a bad thing?”

“NO!” At the look of shock he took a deep breath. “Sorry, sorry. I’m…just surprised is all. I mean…you can actually communicate with your Pokémon! Sans do you understand…just how incredible that is?” He clapped his hands together in delight, eyes growing huge as he stared admiringly at the monster.

“Uh…doc?”

“I’ve heard of Pokémon learning human speech but you can actually speak to them! This opens up so many possibilities. You’ve lived next door this whole time and I never knew! I mean, think of all the information you could discover! All the Pokémon you could befriend because you can understand them! You could pull some amazing breakthroughs in our research!”

“Doc…”

“Perhaps I should have asked you to become a scientist! You could break the barriers between humans and Pokémon! Be the first to discover things we never knew! Figure out mysterious we still don’t understand! Oh! I wonder if Papyrus could do the same-“

“ **D O C**.” Elm paused in his speech, face turning beet red. Laughing uneasily, he rubbed the back of his head in an offhanded way.

“Erm…sorry…I got a little carried away there didn’t I?”

“A little?”

“Hahaha yes um…well….erm…” He gave a nervous cough, embarrassed. “Anyways, so…I suppose you should probably be on your way…"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand BAM 1st chapter if you don't count the prologue! Hopefully I can keep this ball rolling!


	3. One Thing After Another

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans: "So...several things start happenin' here....And this was just supposed ta be an easy walk..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I am very VERY VERY VERY sorry for the seriously ridiculously long time it took to get this chapter up. Had some things happen that kinda...well...yeah...  
> And then the months and months of trying to write, suffering writer's block, and being stupidly picky with my writing.  
> Anyway, I really hope this chapter is enjoyable. At first I hated it, but after re-working and re-working the hell outta it, I finally have grown to love it. It may even, ironically, be one of my favorite chapters. XD

Welp…everything had gone from fine to awkward in approximately thirty seconds…

Scratching at the back of his skull, Sans sighed and glanced uncertainly at the Professor for what felt like the ten hundredth time. After some hesitant last-minute instructions and exchange of phone numbers, Elm had haltingly thanked the monster for his help, deliberately not meeting the other’s gaze as he quickly retreated to his computer. Now the man was ‘working’; nervous fingers pressing keys and leafing through papers with feigned interest. A clear cut signal that the newly dubbed trainer was free to head out.

The thought was very tempting. And easy! Just kick everything under the rug, wave goodbye, aaaaand presto! Mess all gone.

Yet, Sans could not bring himself to leave. Elm had gotten excited over something that he should have already known, and that did not sit well with the skeleton. How in the world was the Professor unaware that Sans and Papyrus could understand Pokémon? That made absolutely no sense, given how long they had been living in New Bark. Hell, Elm had practically lived with them after learning that his new neighbors were monsters. For the first three months the brothers often found him knocking on their door at all hours, brimming with new questions and wild theories; _Why does Papyrus move his mouth when he speaks, but you don’t Sans? Are skeleton monsters telepathic? Do you have your own language? What other kind of abilities do you possess? Can you regenerate your limbs? Can you take them off and on again? Yadda, yadda, yadda._

Was he really being serious that, in all the times he had come over, not once had he ever seen the skeleton brothers speaking with a Pokémon?

There was just no way he had missed that little tidbit. Something was off here, of that Sans was certain. Elm’s excitement felt almost…inaccurate? Out of place? Kind of like…something had messed with the guy’s mem-OW!

Sans winced as a sudden hurt slashed through his skull, pinching the bridge of his nasal cavity with a hiss. Geez! Did he hit his head last night or something? Rubbing his forehead, he attempted to return to his former train of thought. Try as he might, however, the skeleton could not remember, leaving him with a lingering “on the tip of the tongue” sensation that both frustrated and worried him. He really felt as though he had been on to something…

  _[There is nothing to worry about. This is just how Professor Elm is.]_ Sans paused, glowing orbs momentarily flickering, before giving a shrug and good natured grin. The heck was he so upset about this for? This was typical Professor Elm who, if the monster was being honest with himself, was notorious for overreacting to…well pretty much anything. The man could give Papyrus a run for his money…maybe.

Anyways, there was no reason to panic, yeah? _[_ _ ~~That’s right~~_ _No reason whatsoever!]_ Their neighbor was so busy all the time, what with his research and all, that there were still things about the skeletons that he was discovering. _[Heck, only a couple months ago he found out about monster souls.. Boy was he impressed, right?]_ Yeah, the skeleton nodded cheerfully, he really had been! If this really was the first time the Professor had noticed this particular ability of theirs, then little wonder he had gotten so excited!

Yup, best to chalk this up to Elm simply being Elm. More than likely there would be questions when he got back, but by that time the man would have more than likely recovered his dignity.  The questions would be calmer, much more direct, and the whole embarrassing mess swept under the rug. Same as always. Such was life when living next to an overly inquisitive scientist. 

 Chuckling quietly to himself, Sans decided to shoot a quick text to his brother before heading out.

_Hey bro, totally a trainer now. Just got a Pokemon. Cyndaquil. Heading towards Mr. Pokémon’s. Be back soon._

The response was quick and predictably enthusiastic.

_Most excellent brother! I look forward to meeting your new friend! AFTER you return from Mr. Pokemons of course! I shall see you both then! And prepare to be amazed when you return home because I, the Great Papyrus, have a wonderful surprise for you! NYEH HEHEHEHEHEH._

( _Heh, wait for it)_

...

…

…

_*Ding* (And there we go.)_

HEH!

The ever present grin widened, shoulders shaking in silent laughter. God, how he loved his brother and all his quirky ways. Eyes glowing fondly, the monster pocketed his phone alongside the poke ball from earlier, and motioned to his Cyndaquil. Right as he was about to leave, however, a strange sight made him pause.

 A young man, roughly around sixteen or so, was peering intently through the window to Sans’s left, hands pressed firmly against the glass. Fiery red hair spilled over thin shoulders, framing a strained peaked face with hard flint-colored eyes. An almost desperate longing was reflected in those steely orbs. Head cocked curiously, Sans turned to see what the boy was looking at.

Oh! The machine holding the poke balls!

 _(Huh…The way he’s looking, I bet he really wants to become a trainer too…wonder why he doesn’t just come inside. Heh…must be shy or something…)_ With a friendly smile, Sans waved until he captured the other’s attention. Slowly, silver locked with glowing white, a look of shock crossing the pale features when the monster gestured for him to come in. Instead of accepting the obvious invitation, however, he simply stared in disbelief.

Thinking the kid did not understand, the skeleton took a couple steps forward, intending to open the window and speak with him, but hesitated when the boy jumped backwards and suddenly disappeared.     

“…oooookaaaayyy?” A bony brow raised in bemusement, Sans wandered over and peered through the glass.

...nothing…

“Weird.” Sans muttered under his breath.

[…what are you looking at?] Turning away from the glass, the skeleton spotted Cyndaquil near his feet. The fire Pokémon reared on his hind legs, red eyes brimming with curiosity.

“There was a kid out there staring at the poke balls, but he just ran off. At least…I think he ran…Could be hiding _under_ the window sill where I can’t see him.”

[I wonder why?]

“Might be shy. Or nervous.” Sans shrugged. “Think I’ll go talk to him. See what he’s up to. Come on.” Inclining his head towards the door, he began walking.

Or attempted to, at any rate.

The moment they stepped away from Elm, they suddenly found themselves completely surrounded by at least a dozen of the Professor’s employees, whom, judging by their keen expressions, the skeleton strongly suspected of eavesdropping. Bewildered, Sans took a step back, only to be roughly pulled forward into a circle of eager clutching assistants who were practically tripping over themselves in order to be near him.  

“Excuse me dear, but could you tell us a bit about yourself? You’re a skeleton MONSTER right? How interesting! So I was just wondering-”

“Wait! Hey! Hi there! Sans, right? Were you talking to your Pokémon just now? What were you two discussing?”

“Oh! Your eyes stopped glowing. Look! His eyes aren’t glowing anymore! How are you doing that? I need to know-”

 “Sans! Sans! Skeleton _Monster_ , Pocket _Monster_ , that’s a connection! It has to be! You could be a link, Sans! The Professor is right! You could show us so much more about Pokémon!!”

“Hello…erm…Mr. Skeleton. You sure are smiley…Which means your friendly right? Ahem, um would you mind talking again? T-to your Cyndaquil I mean? And maybe explain how um you can talk without moving your mouth **That is** …if you want to?”

Yeah, okay scratch that. He was one hundred percent sure they had been eavesdropping, and clearly did not know the meaning of personal space. Large hands tugged at Sans’s hoodie, prodded widened eye sockets, and even patted his skull in what he supposed was meant to be a comforting gesture. Though the, steadily growing more and more nervous, skeleton felt anything but comforted.

In the midst of the confusion, one assistant went so far as to attempt picking up his Cyndaquil, no doubt hoping to entice both Pokémon and monster into talking to each other again. Fleeing from the grasping fingers, the fiery mammal rushed towards the skeleton. At that moment unease turned to cold anger.

“Hey. _Leave him alone_.” Sans growled as he stepped protectively in front of the critter. Instead of taking the hint, however, that only induced the others to point excitedly and start taking notes.

Seriously, had these people no shame?

 A very disgruntled look was thrown over his shoulder at Elm who, having been alarmed by the sudden commotion, was hovering nearby and stutteringly trying to reason with his overeager employees. Of course, no one was listening…

Sans supposed they could not help themselves. The room was completely open save for several bookshelves forming a sort of boxed enclosure around the Professor; which made ‘accidently’ overhearing conversations very easy. And interesting new prospects attracted attention in a lab like flies to honey. Nevertheless their persistent curiosity did not help the skeleton’s steadily fraying nerves. The stares. The touching. Ceaseless _chatter-chatter-chatter_ as they buffeted him with a never ending stream of questions. Sans felt as though he was an animal in a cage. Or a walking science project.

He **REALLY** did not like that.

“ **E N O U G H**.” The voices died down at this rather unexpected interruption, each of the assistants turning to look at one another in stunned silence. Sans let out a sigh of relief, only to flinch as everyone turned to him with baited breath, eyes trained on the monster. Unsettled, Sans shrank into his turtle neck, glowing eyes flickering anxiously between their faces. That…was not the reaction he had been hoping for.

 _(Great job stupid, now what?)_ Nervously rubbing the back of his skull, he looked towards the ceiling and exhaled slowly. That was a _really_ good question. He had no idea what to say to a bunch of people that were ten seconds away from pouncing on him. The skeleton tapped his chin thoughtfully before attempting to speak.

“Uh listen I-WOAH K NOW. **S T O P**.” Sans jumped backwards, chills running down his spine as every single one of them simultaneously took a step forward.

 Yeah, o-kay he was very creeped out now. This had gone from just weird to bad horror movie. Thank you spooky scary scientists!

“Look.” Shifting to a defensive gesture, eye sockets grew stern as he addressed the group. “Your sudden…interest in me, I’m-uh…flattered. But, you guys are seriously weirding me out right now. Acting like me and the little guy here are...research specimens or somethin’…Stop all the touchy feely stuff, yeah? It’s freakin creepy…I mean it-B A C K O F F.” This last sentence was directed at a particular few who had edged closer, fingers twitching and mouths pursed in disappointment. 

“Yeesh. Buncha weirdos.”

“I’m so _very,_ very sorry about this Sans.” Elm, face now the color of a tamato berry and buried in the palm of his hand, was shaking his head at his employees’ lack of tact. “I should not have gotten so excited earlier, but I-“

“Yeah, no I get it Professor. _The monster can speak to Pokémon. Possible scientific breakthrough. Whoohoo_ and all that jazz...S’not your fault. Really.” The skeleton brushed his sleeves off and gave Elm a forced grin. “That being said, I better get going…before things get any crazier.”

“Understandable. Please be assured this will not happen again.” Nodding, Sans took a step forward only to be met with dozens of pleading stares.

 Seriously?

“Uh, hello!” Phalanges snapping, his rictus grin grew sharp. “Earth to scientists or whatever. Did you not hear me? Or your boss?  I gotta. Get. Going. Things to do, places to be. So…if you guys wouldn’t mind.” The skeleton made an abrupt shooing gesture, causing an embarrassed ripple of laughter and a few murmured apologies as the assistants reluctantly stepped aside.

“Thank you.” Sans turned to Cyndaquil and jerked his head toward the direction of the door, before walking away from the group. Not a single worker hindered them, their employer’s sudden, severe stare sufficient enough to discourage any attempt. Though several protested rather loudly over the loss of such an opportune chance for research.

Pretending not to hear them, the skeleton stalked outside; shoving his hands deep into hoodie pockets before setting off at a brisk pace away from the lab. Half way across the town, he quickly glanced over his shoulder towards the side of the building. The spot next to the open window was empty. Which meant, more likely than not, that the kid had fled.

 _(Can’t say I blame him.)_ A puff of irritation blew out between tightly clenched teeth, skeletal fists involuntarily clenching. ( _He already didn’t want to come in. Probably saw what happened and got even more freaked out.)_

Those vindictive thoughts spurred the monster to walk even faster, the desire to put as much distance between him and the lab as possible burning strongly in his chest. Villagers blinked in surprise as he passed, cocking their heads questioningly at each other, but Sans ignored them. Storming past the entrance to New Bark, the skeleton finally came to an abrupt stop in front of a patch of shoulder-length grass, chest heaving like billows from both exertion and ill humor. He took a moment to catch his breath, thoughts buzzing like a nest of furious hornets as he tried to process what had just happened.

Despite the awkward situation inadvertently caused, Elm’s enthusiasm had been explainable. Unexpected, yes. Strange, oh very! But explainable. His, incredibly eerie, assistants however…

Face darkening, a sudden feeling of icy resentment overcame the monster. How dare those creeps _man-handle_ him! And Cyndaquil! What was their problem? The next time they tried to do something **s t u p i d  l i k e  t h a t-**  

Closing his eyes, Sans held his hands slightly above his head and took a deep breath, before slowly lowering them as he exhaled. Enough. Keep calm. There was no need to get so angry. Embarrassing as the incident had been, there was a much bigger problem to worry about.

Monster speaking to Pokémon like he always did. Add a large group of scientists. Results? Very unexpected, and unwanted, excitement. Why?

He could excuse them for not knowing. After all they worked just as hard as their employer and Sans barely said two words to them. But why were each of the assistants super excited when they had overheard the conversation between Sans and Elm? Why had they had acted as though this was some big revelation? Why, exactly, was being able to understand Cyndaquil so incredible?

Even better question; Why was being able to converse with Pokémon _in general_ such a big deal? He and Papyrus talked to Michi all the time. Never, not even once, had anyone been surprised that the skele-bros could understand her.

Although…now that he was thinking on this, admittedly Sans had never actually _told_ anyone that he and his brother could talk to the Marill. In all honesty, he had assumed the neighbors already knew. Especially given the number of times they had spoken to Mi-A phalange, ticking contemplatively against his jaw, paused in midair, glowing orbs widening. Wait a minute…

Had there even been a time the duo had spoken to Michi in front of a human?

Unease crept up the monster’s spine at the sudden realization, mind racing frantically. There had to have been at least one time.  He swore there should, but now that he was really thinking about this, the only person he could really remember was Lyra and…

…Lyra…

…

Did…she even realize Sans and Papyrus could actually understand what her Pokémon partner was saying? She had always acted like she could. In fact, the very first time she had stepped into one of the trio’s conversations, the brunette had watched without even batting an eyelid. And the many times after that, she had seemed amused. Was she just under the impression that the brothers were pretending to understand what Michi said?

An anxiety stirred in his soul that was both familiar and not, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

…how come he had never noticed any of this before?

 _[I need ~~you~~ to quit overthinking this. There is nothing wrong here, absolutely nothing]_

But-They. Stood. Out. He and his brother _stood out_ in a way that was not meant to be, and that was B A D.

_[Why is that such a problem? ~~You and your bro-~~ Me and my brother are different because we are monsters! So what if we can do things other people can’t do? I’m just worrying for no reason.]_

But was he really?  If this was seriously no big deal, why was he getting such a bad vibe? A “hand caught in the cookie jar” type sensation that would not leave him alone. There was this feeling of… _wrongness_. _[Stop.]_ A feeling that they could not. _[That is enough ~~Sans~~.]_ Should NOT. _[ ~~Sans~~ I NEED ~~you.~~ To. Calm Down.] _ Deviate. From The Norm. **T H E R E W E R E** **R U L E S.**

_[STOP!]_

…

_[Do not panic. So what if an overenthusiastic Professor and his ~~PETS~~ assistants got a little excited? They are scientists and I know how scientists are! The moment they get a hint of something new they are like Houndours on a Rattata trail!!]_

“But…” Sans whispered, breath quickening. “But Lyra…she-”

_[-realizes Papyrus and I are monsters. Lyra realizes that **I** am a monster and that I can do things she is not able to. She understands and knows I can talk to her Marill. Everyone ~~is going to~~ will understand that. So, right now I need to take a deep breath…and relax. I’m still angry. VERY angry. But everything will be okay. I need to STOP PANICKING and head out because I’m going to Mr.-]_

“-Pokémon’s…Yeah. I’m going to go to Mr. Pokémon’s for Professor Elm…”

Shoulders slumped in relief, Sans clapped a hand to his left eye which was feeling oddly sore. Rubbing at the socket, the monster took several calming breaths.  [ _No need for me to get worked up_.] They were all just super excited. [ _They always have been_ ,] ever since he and Papyrus had moved to New Bark. A genuine smile crossed his face as he, once again, reminisced the first time he had met Elm; the man had been ecstatic. How many times had the brothers found him knocking on their door, arms full of notebooks that held pages upon pages of questions just for them? What a lovable goof. Heh, there had been one time that he had caught Sans-what the hell was that…

A quick, sharp tug on his shorts caused the small male to instinctually freeze, shoulders slowly arching in a startled cat-like manner.

 _Sans felt something climbing up his back_ …

Eye sockets narrowing, the monster cautiously looked over his shoulder… just in time to spot a black and butter shape doggedly scaling his hoodie.

Oh. Cyndaquil. Heh…heheh-heh-heh…heeeeeh…

A small breath of sheepish relief blew between his teeth, eye lights rolling at his own jangled nerves. Should have realized the little guy was right behind him. With a small shake of his head, Sans mentally scolded himself before pausing as another yank on his jacket caught his attention. Embarrassment gave way to gradually growing amusement as he watched his partner’s antics.

Clearly this was a hard battle, considering that the critter kept slipping on the soft texture, but the Pokémon was obviously **determined**. Claws splayed into the blue fabric to prevent falling, he made several calculated jumps, only pausing to hold to his perch until absolutely sure of the next move. The climb was taking a toll, however. After managing to reach the middle of the skeleton’s back, Cyndaquil nearly slipped. The paws clinging tightly to the cloth began trembling, breathing now labored and raspy. Even the furry chest looked damp with sweat. Sans’s brows furrowed in concern, hands reaching out to gently cup the exhausted creature.

“Here bud. Let me help you out.” He settled the Pokémon comfortably in his cowl, glowing eyes tinged with worry as the small form collapsed into a grateful wheezing heap.

[O-oh * _Gasp, Pant_ * T-thank you * _pant_ * so very much. * _Whe-e-eze_ *]

“You alright?”

[Y-* _Pant Pant_ * Yes.]

“…you sure?”

[* _Gasp_ * Y-yes I am] Waving a paw, the hedgehog smiled. [* _Wheeze_ * I assure you * _Pant_ * I-I am okay, thank you. * _Pant_ * I just…need a minute * _Gasp_ * to catch my breath…That was…q-quite a climb.]

“Yeah, no kiddin’. Heh, gotta admit buddy that was pret-ty impressive. But uh…maybe next time maybe warn a guy first would ya?” The skeleton monster chuckled teasingly, running a phalange gingerly over the striped muzzle. “Didn’t know what the heck was climbing on me and…well, you kinda spooked me.”

[Oh! Oh dear! My sincerest apologies, Sans.] Pawing contritely at the cloth, Cyndaquil ducked his head, clearly ashamed. [I never meant to frighten you…I-I should have thought about that…]

“Woah buddy, no worries!” Geeze, he did not mean to make the little guy feel bad. Scratching the back of his skull, Sans waved a hand dismissively. “Really, it’s not that big of a deal.”

[S-still! I should have asked permission first but…I did not wish to bother you when you were angry and…I mean I was having some trouble keeping up so I…well…]

…

Welp! Sans felt like a total jerk now. Should have remembered there was a tiny little hedgehog thing following him on much shorter legs.

“Yeeeaaahh…sorry ‘bout that…” An embarrassed laugh escaped his teeth, skeletal cheeks turning blue. “Didn’t meant to leave ya behind but I-uh…I really don’t like being touched and stared at. I got kinda…well… y’know…”

[Oh no, please don’t be embarrassed! I can well understand your feelings. The assistants have always had the tendency to get rather…um…grabby.]  Catching on to the subtle implications of those words, Sans bristled slightly before giving his partner a sympathetic look.

 “Well… Pretty sure those schmucks won’t be trying that again for a while, amirite?” He winked, earning a quiet chuckle from the smaller. “Anyways, I don’t mind. You riding in my hoodie I mean. Next time feel free to ask, even if I’m mad. Probably be ten times easier if I gave you a hand, yeah?”  Ruby eyes sought glowing ones, response a soft smile and grateful nod. Timidly, the Pokémon settled against the base of the skeleton’s neck, silky fur tickling pleasantly against vertebrae. To Sans’s surprise, a soothing heat was emanating from the creature’s back, warmth gently soaking into his bones. The pleasant feeling trickled down his spine, and the monster relaxed, head tilting back to rest comfortably against the small body.

“Heh, wow. You’re real warm there buddy.”

[Goodness, there I go taking liberties again! So sorry! I keep forgetting that-…erm-does…doesn’t that hurt you?]

“Nah.” Sans hummed, sockets pleased half-moons. “Feels real nice actually.”  

[Really?] Something soft touched the base of the skeleton’s neck, prodding the cervical discs tentatively. “How…curious…I did not take you as a potential fire type…This…honestly does not hurt you at all?]

“Heh, you sound surprised.”

[W-well, I suppose I am. A little. Professor Elm often times has to remind me to be careful when I am around other people and Pokémon…I have inadvertently caused burns before.]

“Burns?”

[Yes, um, I have a little trouble controlling my…temperature I suppose? I have several pores on my back that I can use to release fire should I have need. But um…well…while I can suppress said fire I still need to make sure I keep from overheating, so I have to release small amounts from my body. Which is why I am always warm.] Two paws patted gingerly against Sans’s vertebrae while the hedgehog continued to speak. [The trouble is I still have not managed to keep it completely under control and sometimes end up…um…burning others… So my sitting right next to your neck does not bother you at all?]

“Nope. Kinda feels like I’m sitting in front of a fire place. Real cozy. Sides, you uh…* _A-hem_ * you made a real good point earlier. I can walk faster than you, being bigger and all that. It’d just be easier if you rode in my hood.” Sans chuckled, grin widening. “Anyways, much as I enjoy standing around and chatting we’d better get a move on. Elm’s counting on us after all.” Spotting the start of a trail, the skeleton casually strolled into the patch of dark green.

Upon entering, however, the go-getter attitude wilted slightly in the face of one unhappy truth: short skeletons and overgrown lawns do not mix.

“Uh. Wow…” Sans made a face at the partially trodden growth, immediately deciding he did NOT like tall grass. While most was flat enough to walk on, the ground was still very rough; irregular tufts of sharp, un-trampled foliage reaching out to cut at exposed fibulas. When was the last time someone mowed?  

“Ugh…this stuff’s way too long. What’s up with that?”

[There are many feral Pokémon on the outskirts of New Bark that do not live in trees. The grass is left long to provide a safe haven for them.]

“Huh. That makes sense I gu-Ow!” Grumbling, the monster aimed a death stare at the offending turf, rubbing at his now sore legs. Though there was logic in the hedgehog’s words, this stuff was still a total pain. Not to mention itchy!

[I know this is a bit of a hassle, but do believe me when I say it is for the best. Long grass really is ideal for hiding and raising young, to my knowledge. Though I must say I am rather surprised we have not come across any “wilds” yet. These grasses are…unusually quiet…which means no battles, whew.]

“Ehh probably just hidin’. Heh...heh. Or maybe they actually hate this stuff just as-whoops!” A small wrinkle creased above the skeleton’s nasal cavity, a grunt of displeasure escaping between his teeth as he, once again, nearly tripped. Chuckling, his Cyndaquil pointed one paw forward.

[Not to worry Sans. This patch is not too large. It should end…right there!] Sure enough, a streak of bright light broke through the dark foliage. Pushing through with a sigh of relief, the skeleton bent over for a much needed scratch at his now prickling legs.

“Well at least that’s over wi-…” The words died in his throat the moment he looked back up. A ledge was obstructing the way through, taller than him by at least two or three feet. The blockade had no opening and was surround by…more tall grass.

“…Tch…There’s a bunch more of this stuff isn’t there?”

[I am afraid so…]

“Right…” With a resigned sigh, Sans glanced around, spotting another thin, yet unmistakable, trail, and pressed on.

Walking did get a little easier after they had passed the second patch of itch-inducing hell. Cyndaquil, though pretty quiet for the majority of the trip, proved to be a valuable guide, and even offered an occasional tidbit of information about the path they were on. Several people were wandering around as well, and eagerly greeted the trainer as he strolled by. One such women hailed Sans down, apparently excited by the sight of a walking talking skeleton, and engaged him in a brief chit chat. After some well-placed puns, and gratefully received advice on using the ledges on the way back, he was on his way.

By the time they reached the third patch of grass, the monster was delighted to see that someone had very kindly decided to stomp as much of the obnoxious foilage into the dirt as possible, providing a more navigable path that was blissfully trip-free.

Clearly Sans was not the only one in favor of dedicated weekly lawn care. 

Though few words had been exchanged between skeleton and Pokémon, the silence had most certainly been an amusing one. Cyndaquil had, for the past fifteen minutes, been thoroughly engrossed in examining his trainer. Tiny claws tentatively brushed against vertebrae and skull, questioning noises accompanying each poke and prod. As they exited the grass and passed a large gate, Sans felt a cold nose press against the edge of his jaw, delicate _snuff snuff_ sounds causing his grin to widen. Michi had been very much the same the first time they had met, which had not bothered him in the slightest. Though he hoped this one did not decide to investigate his eye sockets.

Paws definitely did not belong in there.

 [Sans!] Cyndaquil suddenly broke the silence, tone one of mingled frustration and curiosity. [Exactly what type of Pokémon are you?!] Sans’s pace slowed as he looked over his shoulder, a bony brow raised in bemusement.

“Pft-Uh…what?”

[Your typing! Are you a fire type or a ghost? Or both? Or something unaffected by fire. Perhaps…water? And ghost of course. Or you could potentially be a dark type…fire dark perhaps? You struck me as a ghost type in the beginning because you are shaped like a skeleton but I suppose you could be dark instead.  Anyway, I have been trying to figure it out ever since I first met you, and now that I know you are resistant to heat I just…well it is rather difficult to place you since I have never seen your species before and-] He broke off when Sans began laughing, tilting his head in confusion. [Um…what…you…are a Pokémon…right?]

“* _Snrk_ * No! Pffft-I’m not-Heheheh. Dude, I’m not a Pokémon!” The skeleton chortled, sockets crinkling. “Heheheheheheh! What made you think that?”

 [Well it is just…I-Ugh. -] Cheeks puffed like a hamster’s, the hedgehog let out a * _whuff_ * of annoyance, crossing his front limbs and staring at the taller expectantly. [When you first spoke to me in the lab I immediately could tell you were not a human! They cannot understand our language. So I theorized that somehow you must be a new species of Pokémon.]

“Heh heh. While that’s a pretty good theory, aren’t you forgetting something buddo? How can I be a Pokémon…if I’m the trainer?”

[I-oh…Oh for goodness sake!] Face-pawing, Cyndaquil grit his fangs in annoyance. [How in the world did I forget such a crucial detail? I was so busy trying to-ugh! Well, you cannot blame me for believing you are a Pokémon. I mean, how else are you able to understand what I am saying?]

 Sans immediately stopped chuckling, a cold trickle running down his spine like icy water. His mind began tauntingly screaming like a deranged kid.

 _YOU STAND OOOUT YOU STAND OOOUT YOU STAND OOOUT-_

[Sans?]

Shaking his head, the skeleton exhaled slowly. Did he not just have a seriously huge, crisis-resolving, internal monologue over this earlier? Now was not the time for another panic attack. The little guy was just curious. No big deal.

How to answer; _that_ was the real problem. Sans’s foot tapped pensively, mouth drawing into a thin line of annoyance when his mind failed to cooperate with him. Cyndaquil’s idea might have been pretty farfetched, but what explanation did the monster have?

“Eh…to be honest, I’m not really too sure.” He finally replied. Shrugging apologetically, he turned his head to look at the fire Pokémon, “You-uh, speak and I can just… _hear_ ya I guess. Sounds like plain English to me…”

[Yet I am not speaking English, but my own dialect…* _sigh_ * that is so very strange. Pokémon can understand one another easily, but other creatures, mankind for instance, have never been able to directly understand our language. And unless I have managed to learn to speak English without…knowing I was learning? Which makes even less sense. Especially since the Professor could not understand me and I-…uh…* _cough cough_ * I digress. Back to the topic at paw. You and your…making things not make sense…I have another question, if that is okay?]

 “Shoot.”

 [Uhh? I will take that as a ‘go ahead’. _Ahem_. I…do hope this is not insensitive of me, but since you are not a Pokémon…what are you, exactly?] Nudging Sans’s jaw line again, red eyes scrunched in puzzlement. [I actually thought you were wearing a mask when I first saw you; human fashion and all that. Then, of course, I made my…erm…theory. But now that I know for certain you are neither human nor a Pokémon…what I mean is…um…Well. How in the world can a _skeleton_ be…alive?]

“Heh heh heh, now that’s an easy one. I’m not just a skeleton, I’m a skeleton monster.” At the look of confusion, mischievous impulse thrummed through him. Sans could not resist. Eye sockets scrunching playfully, he elaborated. “Aww c’mon buddy. You know. _Monster_. Like on T.V, yeah? Rawr, grrrr, braaaains. I’m gonna eat ya and all that jazz. Except in real life, we monsters aren’t actually like that.”

[O-oh?]

“Yeah. Brains are good an all but-uh…Eh…Waaay too high in cholesterol. So. We prefer ta stick with the lower calorie stuff. Eye balls, toes, you name it! There’s nothin’ like finger sandwiches.” Delighted laughter bubbled in Sans’s chest as Cyndaquil eyed him warily. Man, this guy was easy! 

“Heheheheh, I’m just joking buddy. I wouldn’t eat ya. Or humans for that matter. Monsters are actually pretty nice. But ya get the basic picture, yeah?”

[I think so.] A shaky breath betrayed barely concealed relief, but he smiled nonetheless.

 “Huh, actually speaking of monsters…Wait-a-minute. I might be having an epiphany here. Mmmm…Monster, monster, mooonster…Why is that suddenly ringin’ a bell?”  Glowing eyes sparkled as something clicked in Sans’s mind, an image of one the assistants from earlier replaying in his head.

_Sans! Sans! Skeleton **Monster** , Pocket **Monster** , that’s a connection!-Connection!-Connection!_

 “Heeeey,” He snapped his fingers, eyes crinkling at his Cyndaquil. “I think I’m on to something! One of those goofballs in the lab earlier mentioned something about “Pocket Monsters”. He was talking about Pokémon, yeah?” At the nod of confirmation his grin broadened. “Total shot in the dark, buuuut, maybe _that’s_ why I can understand you? Cause technically…we’re both monsters. Eh? Know what I mean?”  

[That…makes a lot of sense! Yes! If Pokémon can easily communicate with other Pokémon, despite type and species differences, why could monsters not communicate with _monsters_? A most interesting prospect Sans! Imagine if-] Eyes bright with excitement, Cyndaquil began eagerly fleshing out the new found theory while emphasizing dramatically with his paws. The skeleton’s shoulders shook with silent mirth. The fire Pokémon sounded just like Professor Elm! Enthusiastic, intelligent, prone to long windy speeches. Super fun to mess with. Sans was really starting to warm up to him.

Heh, pun intended.

[-and I bet you could teach humans too! After all Pokémon have learned to speak human, and in many different ways!] Sans’s ribs were now hurting from stifled laughter. Oh God, this was gold. Dare he keep this going?

….

Eye sockets crinkled mischievously, smile stretching wide. Oh yeah, he totally had to.

“What kind of ways?” His partner, perking up even more at the sudden interest in his knowledge, did not seem to notice the impish lilt in San’s voice.

[Why, telepathy for instance! Certain Pokémon of the psychic type have developed the ability. Quite fascinating, really. Possession too, usually by Ghost Pokémon, is another method, though a much cruder one. Others still, through practice and with much patience, can develop the ability to actually speak to humans through their own language, though it is very difficult. Most of our mouths are not made for that kind of speech you know. And there is also…erm…um.] He paused, snout wrinkling in sudden realization. The Pokémon raised a brow, unsuccessfully hiding a smile when his trainer began cracking up.

[You did that on purpose, you imp!]

“* _Snrk_ *, sorry. Heh heh heh. Couldn’t resist.” Sans chortled, affectionately rubbing the hedgehog’s head with a playful wink. “You sound just like Elm, ya little nerd.”

[Ha ha! I suppose I have picked up on quite a few of his mannerisms. Spending that much time around him, one does tend to-]

_**{SKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!}** _

 Both skeleton and Pokémon flinched at the loud, almost metallic, screech; attention directed to the patch of dark green in front of them. Vicious bird-like cries sounded ominously a fair distance into the now rustling grass, accompanied by rapid wing beats and frantic scurrying. Sans held a protective hand in front of Cyndaquil, all manner of lighthearted banter rapidly dissipating as they both stared in the direction of the horrendous noises.

“Woah…dude…what was that?”

[* _Huff_ * I should have know we’d run into one sooner or later…*Sigh*Well if I had to hazard a guess, I would say that sounded like a Pidgey…]

“Pidgey?”

[Yes. Another type of Pokémon. Rather annoying little pests in my opinion.] Images of a tiny fluttering bird appeared in Sans’s mind, brown with cream chest feathers. Pink claws and beak. Not the most threatening of Pokémon, if he remembered rightly, though very popular with trainers. Huh, that noise had seriously come from one of them?

 [Ugh…More than likely they are hunting and found a Caterpie. Vicious stomachs on wings, Pidgeys. I have never cared for them…] As if on cue, a chattering cackle echoed from the depths of the foliage, followed by an almost inaudible whimpering cry. A look of shock crossed the skeleton’s face, expression immediately changing to one of disgust when a cruel voice shrieked,

{BeSCAREDYoUINSECT sHIverinG littleWoRM! EatOhYES IFEASTTODAY YeeeeeesEAT! EYESSKIN! EVERYThING EAT IWILL! KILLYOUKIIIIIIIIILLLL! GOBBLEYOUuP inTINYPIECES! KILLKILLLKIIIIIIIILLLLLLLL}

“…wow…that’s just…” Sans let out the breath he had been holding, shaking his head in revulsion when the voice began laughing manically. “Please tell me all Pidgeys aren’t like that…”

[T-this one sounds…particularly vicious. And violent…] Hackles raised, the fire Pokémon bared tiny, now chattering, fangs. [M-m-maybe best we leave it be…While most Pidgeys are nothing but a nuisance, easily taken care of, but this one-wai-What. Sans?] The skeleton had entered the tall grass, face stony and steps purposeful. [What are you doing?]

“Helpin’ out that…Cat-thing or whatever.”  The sounds of fighting faded in and out as the creatures tore through the foliage; one chasing, the other clearly trying to run for their life. Judging by the frustrated growling, the Pidgey had yet to immobilize their victim. Good. Sans hoped the poor thing was giving their attacker hell. 

[…you are going to attempt to stop their fight?]

“That’s the plan bucko.” Glowing eyes landed on a largish stone by his feet, which he promptly picked up. Hmmm…possible makeshift ammunition? A good smack to the head just might be enough to convince the little creep to leave the Catar…Cati…the cat thing…alone. The rock was juggled experimentally from hand to hand. Yeah, definitely good ammo. Solid and heavy, but not enough to kill. Perfect for driving the weirdo off. Maybe even knock them unconscious should he have the need.

[W-wait what?] Cyndaquil’s voice, surprised and uncertain, gave him pause.

“You don’t have to worry bud. I’m not gonna make you fight that thing, just drive it off. Sounds way too nasty to tangle with.”

 [Th-hat is not why I am…I...we….We should just leave!” His voice faltered for a moment as the monster halted, skeletal features frozen in disbelief. [S-sans I…please d-do not think me callous but…I just…think it would be better i-if we-]

“Are you seriously suggesting we look the other way and pretend nothing happened?”

[No! Of course not! I’m just-] Shrinking at the shock in Sans’s voice, the hedgehog held up his paws in a placating gesture. [Um…well…The thing is… thiiis iiis-something that happens quite often between wild Pokémon! And T-trainers do not often encroach on their battles! If it were one on one, partner verses wild w-well…But between two of them…I-I have been told it is a…”Waste of time” sort of thing you understand. Very draining. Not only that but they get rather rough, and there’s a possibility _you_ could get hurt a-and I do not think I-I could-]

“Buddy…I don’t know how to make this anymore clear, but that _thing_ in there is torturing another Pokémon. No self-defense. Not killing to eat. Tor-tur-ing.”

Both of them flinched as another gleeful cry sounded somewhere in the grass, further proving Sans point as an earsplitting screech resonated hauntingly through the air; broken…full of pain. Then…

Silence.

 “Oh no…” That was _not_ a good sign. Did this mean the other Pokémon was…dead? The monster took a couple of steps forward, straining to hear any sounds that would tell him otherwise. But, save for an occasional flap of wings, there was noth-wait.

…

What was that?

…

No…No way…

Sockets growing impossibly wide, Sans shook his head slowly as a softer, almost indiscernible, sound reached his auditory meatuses. One that made his very soul freeze in his chest.

The heartbroken crying…of a very young girl.

 [Mommy?…mommy…I-it’s time to go home now…pleaaassse…get up mommy…please? Why won’t you wake up? M-mooomm-my…I wanna ga-g-go home…I’m scared…I wanna go home! Pl-please…Mommy?] She sounded like she was five years old. Maybe six. Practically still a baby stuck with some homicidal _Pidgey_ that had very obviously just murdered her mother. Grief welled inside his chest as she continued to naively plead with her dead parent, bewildered whimpering growing louder and louder.

That poor little girl…

{BEsTiLL WoRM!}

[P-please…we just wanna g-go home…Do-don’t hurt me…]

{I saId. Be. sTIll!}

The Poke’child was cut off midsentence by a sharp, pain-filled gasp. Ragged whimpers mingled with the throaty growl of the Pidgey, the sounds of wings beating the air. Soul hammering, the monster rushed forward, certain that the little girl would be killed, before pausing as she suddenly spoke up again.

[W-wait! P-please…*Gasp, gasp* we…don’t have to fight.] Sans sucked in a sharp breath. What was she doing? Did she not realize she was just going to be killed?

[Pokemon d-don’t need to fight. *Cough, gasp* D-don’t you know…it’s not nice to fight one another?] Wait…was she was trying to reason with the Pidgey? Even though the other had tried to kill her?

_“It feels…like your life is going down a dangerous path…”_

 …why did this sound so…familiar?

[D-do you maybe…need a friend? My mommy told me *Gasp*…sometimes bad Pokémon only act that way because…because other Pokémon have not treated them very nice. She said that…when someone is lonely or sad…that they get all angry on the inside. But underneath all the mean and hate…that there is a Pokémon that is good and caring.]

 _“I, Papyrus, see great potential within you! Everyone can be a great person if they just try!”_ Sockets large with conflicted emotion, the monster titled his head. She…sounded just like…his brother?

 [Maybe…you don’t know any better because…because you are sad and angry? Maybe you need someone to show you?]

  “ _I think you are in need of guidance!”_ Thrums of brotherly concern and affection began to glow inside the monster’s soul as the Poke’child continued to speak. So far there had been no sound of the Pidgey attacking. Maybe…she was actually getting through to them?

[I can help you Pidgey! Me and mommy can help! We can show you how to be good again!]

 _“I will gladly be your friend and tutor! I will turn your life right around!”_ Sans’s smile grew gentle. What a sweet kid. Maybe this would work out after all! She and her…mom…could…

Wait a minute…what was he thinking? Her mother was dead! By that Pidgey’s own claws! Shaking his head, the skeleton involuntarily walked towards the sound of her voice, an oddly familiar sinking feeling trickling down his spine.

 [W-we don’t have to fight like this. Y-you won’t have to be alone a-anymore. We can be friends! …Y-you’re…you’re smiling? D-do you like that idea? Do you want to be friends?]

 _“I see you are approaching. Are you offering a hug of acceptance?”_ Sans sped up into a jog, soul hammering as the trickle turned into a wave. No. No no no! Kid! Run!

[S-sans?] The Cyndaquil clung to his trainer’s shoulder, red orbs wide with confusion. Sans did not respond, beads of sweat rolling down his skull. He willed his legs to move faster as the little girl kept talking.

[I’ll be your friend!]

 _“I, Papyrus”_ _(No.)_

[Come home with us! You can be our friend!]

_“Welcome you with open arms!-arms!-arms!-arms!” (NO!)_

_The flash of a knife. A sickening crunch. Red in the snow, bright red. A scarf. His brother’s scarf._

{BE! STILL!}

_(NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)_

_*SQUELCH!*_

There was a gasp, the child’s words dwindling into stunned silence, followed by a slow, nauseating squish. Panic spurred Sans to move even faster, glowing eyes darting every which way in the attempt to spot the duo. But nothing moved and there was no sound save for his own wheezing gasps.

 ( _She can’t be dead!_ )

One second passed…

( _Come on kid. Say something!_ )

Two seconds…

( _Something! Anything! So I can find you!_ )

Three…

( _Please!_ )

 ** _[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!]_** ]

The screaming was almost a relief. Almost. Though hurt, she was alive, and that meant there was a chance to help her. Even when the shrill cry dwindled down, Sans found he was close enough that he could faintly hear her. Though what he heard broke his heart. She was gasping for air, yet somehow still blubbering pleadingly for the Pidgey to let her and her mother go. To be their friend. To be a good Pokémon.

**_[We c-can-can s-still be fr-friends!]_**

That was when the laughter started.

 Cruel. Merciless…Taunting. Terrorizing ice cold peals that sent the younger Pokémon into another frenzied bout of weeping. There would be no mercy. No kindness. The little girl was a good as dead.

The wicked cackling struck a chord within the skeleton, stirring up years’ worth of older brother feelings as images of Papyrus ghosted his mind. Pride. Concern. Devotion. Fear. Love.

_Anger._

"You. Fucking. Bastard.” Sans snarled, causing his partner to jump in surprise. Fraternal rage bubbled hot through his body, turning the monster into a skeletal juggernaut as he hurled himself through the grass, legs pumping like pistons. That sick freak! What was their problem? Messing with some little kid! To hell with ‘survival of the fittest’! There was no way was he was just gonna stand around and let that _creep_ hurt her.

Sneakers barely touched the ground as he barreled through the grass, femurs practically screaming as a wave of pain shot through them; stingingly announcing that he was pushing himself past the limit. One wrathful thought, however, rode roughshod over the agony in his legs; playing like a broken record in his mind.

_Get to the kid. Get to the kid. Get to the kid._

An avian voice cooed sweetly over the frightened sobbing, sound of wings beating the air, before something heavy landed on the ground with a soft squish.

_Get to the kid. Get to the kid. Get to the kid._

A hum of delight reverberated nearby, signaling that the beast was close. Much more so than he had expected, actually, because Sans could now very clearly perceive a multitude of sounds. Ones that he really wished he was not hearing. Muted _skritch-scratch-skritch-scratch_ noises, like the tearing of heavy paper, followed by a sudden, wet, meaty rrrriiip of tearing meat. Sighs of relish and greedy guzzling. Crackling juicy pops and a crunch of splintering bone. The _suck-suck-suck_ of juices. Panic mixed with wrath as the noises repeated over and over. Obviously the Pidgey was…feasting.

And the sobs were getting quieter…

 _Get to thE KID. GET TO THE KID._ _GET TO THE KID._  

Faint coppery scents met Sans’s nasal cavity, causing him to skid to a halt. The sudden stop knocked Cyndaquil from his perch. With a squeak of distress, the fire type tumbled head over paw. Right into the skeleton’s waiting arms. An embarrassed huff earned a reassuring squeeze, though the monster said nothing as he looked around. Unmistakable splotches of red-splattered grass caught the monster’s attention, the sweet-metal odor growing stronger as he approached.

 Blood…the Pidgey had to be somewhere nearby.

A sound caused his head to jerk up, gaze drawn towards a large shadowy form skulking behind bent blades of crimson-speckled green. Moving in an odd, repetitive bobbing motion, it momentarily jerked backward. There was a ragged rip, both monster and Cyndaquil shuddering in revulsion as the murderous Pokémon gulped with noisy relish. Despite the disgust he felt, Sans steeled himself and began stalking towards the dark tangle of grass. Now was not the time to be squeamish.

Not with the chance that the kid might still be alive.

He swiped the stained foliage to the side as he strolled through, immediately regretting the action as the cloyingly, metallic smell hit him like a hammer. With a gagging cough, the monster shook his head in a dog-like manner, vainly attempting to clear his nose of the putrid stench.

[Sa-S-Sans…] Cyndaquil gulped, hackles rising as he pressed tightly against the skeleton’s chest. The alarm in his voice caught Sans’s attention and he lifted his head, glowing eyes shrinking to pinpricks as he struggled against the overwhelming urge to vomit.

 “O-oh G-god…”

 Furrows of once rich brown earth were now a dark, muddy crimson; soil slick with small puddles of glistening, sticky fluid. Scattered amongst chunks of torn-up earth and grass were bits of red-splattered fur and feather. Minute lumps of wet, pink viscera decorated the dirt like macabre flowers. As Sans took a step forward, something soft squished beneath his sneaker, popping like an overripe grape. He slowly closed his eyes, face turning a slight shade of green.

_I’m not gonna look. I’m not gonna look. I’m not gonna look._

Taking a deep breath, the skeleton wiped his shoe in the grass, pointedly looking away from the smear of gore and focusing, instead, on searching. Unease bloomed in his chest when he failed to spot the young Pokémon. He did, however, immediately catch sight of the hulking, avian figure voraciously feeding on an unrecognizable pile of mangled flesh and bone only a few feet away. Sans’s teeth clenched angrily as the creature savagely ripped another chunk of dripping meat from the corpse.

Head tilting back with a satisfied gulp, the bird let out a pleased sigh before blinking at the sight of the intruders. One murky-red eye locked onto Sans, pupil pinning rapidly as the Pidgey let out a low, tin-filled snarl. 

{FiLTHY-STupiD-FlEDGLinG! ThISIS MyFOOd MyTerRiTORY! MyBuGS!} She hissed in a, vaguely, feminine voice, causing a soft shudder to run down the skeleton’s spine. There was a, now noticeable, metallic quality to her words; almost as if pieces of steel were being scrapped together deep within the creature’s throat. She sounded demonic…

 [Th-th-that is not a bug! I-I cannot even tell what Pokémon that _used_ to be!] Sans’s Cyndaquil was making a strange clicking noise in the back of his throat, visibly trembling at the sight of the Pokémonstrocity. She took several weaving steps forward, feathers standing on end as she snarled threateningly at the hedgehog. Drawing the frightened fire type to his chest protectively, Sans bared razor sharp teeth in a threatening grin, phalanges tightening around the rock that was somehow still in his grasp. Just let this _sicko_ try to touch his partner!

 [S-sans.] As if sensing his intent, Cyndaquil placed a trembling paw on his trainer’s elbow, ruby eyes wide. [Sans…whatever you do, please be careful! S-she….T-that is no ordinary Pidgey!]

“Yeah, no kiddin.” The skeleton growled, sockets narrowing at the fowl. ‘No ordinary Pidgey’ was an understatement! The ugly, leering brute standing before them did not even look like her fellow bird Pokémon. Blackish-brown plumage ruffled in agitation, spiky crest raising stiffly above her head. The charcoal-colored beak, hooked and edged by cruel barbs, opened to hiss menacingly. Blood stained that horrible mouth, drops of crimson dotting her, otherwise, grey chest. Malevolence oozed from the bird in waves, bleeding darkness in faint amorphous wisps off and around her body. Occasionally, the smoky substance would form two or three indistinct shapes that were vaguely animal shaped…and screaming. Standing at roughly three feet tall, the creature looked like something out of a nightmare.

Suddenly crouching low to the ground, the Pidgey switched her attention back to Sans, appraising the skeleton hungrily. A cackling croak escaping the bloodied beak, bulbous scarlet eyes glittering with gluttonous greed.

{NaUGhty BabyBird, tRESsPASSingOn MylAND.} She crooned, titling her head in amusement at the offended look on the male’s face. Excuse him? Baby bird? Who the hell was she calling a baby? He was taller than she was! And probably older! Drawing himself to his full four feet five inches, the monster glared scathingly at her. Baby bird indeed!   

{DiDMoMmYandDaDdY NotTEach YOuaNyBettER LIttLeChiCk? ShUCHaShamE.}The flying type sighed, before sneering condescendingly. Razor sharp claws raked up chunks of earth, her wings beating a large cloud of dirt towards San’s face. Fortunately the monster was much quicker, drawing Cyndaquil under his chin and turning so that the earthy shower splattered harmlessly against his back.

{NotNICE tOTry STEAlingMYBuGS! YouSHOUlD Be PUNiSHED! BrEAkYouRWinGs. SNAPYoURBeaK! PLuCKYOUBALD!} With a vicious growl, the bird Pokémon tore into the ground one more, ripping grass up by the roots and shrieking. After a moment she settled down, cooing at the skeleton in a mocking motherly tone. {BuTYouDoN’T haVetOWORRY BabyBird. YoUDOn’TKnoW Any BEtteR DOYou? I’LLbE NiCE. I’LLbE QuCKandGEnTLE. ComEHerE.} She spread her wings invitingly, the shadows leaking off her body growing agitated as she began laughing maniacally.

{COMEANDLET ME EATYOU UP YUMMYLITTLe CHICk, LITTLE CHICk!}

Oh what-the-hell-ever Feathers! With a stony stare, the monster met her gaze, not at all intimidated by the drooling smile. Crazy freak! Little wonder there were no other wild Pokémon around. She had probably killed a bunch of them! His grip on the stone tightened, the skeleton ignoring the spark of pain as the rough texture cut into his palm. Oh, what he would not give to smash this rock against her smug head. In fact, that was probably a really good idea. He could knock this disgusting beast unconscious, grab the kid, make sure she was alright, and go.

If she was still alive…God he hoped she was still alive…

 Before he could move, however, a soft noise caught both his and the bird’s attention. There was a sniffle. Then a hiccup. Something rustled in the grass gently, letting out a meek questioning coo, before a broken hearted wail punctured the silence like a pin to a balloon.

The kid! She _was_ alive! Thank God! But, wait…where was she? Though he could hear her, there was no sign of a young Pokémon anywhere.

“Kiddo!? Where you at?” Completely disregarding the stunned bird, the monster took a step forward, glowing orbs flickering anxiously as he tried to spot her. No such luck. She was probably too scared to come out. Damn! Sans rushed in her direction, about to call out to her again, when-

{BADNESTLING! ItolDYOU! THATISMYWORMMYWORM MIIIIIIIIIINE!!!} Pidgey let out a furious scream as she began snapping at the startled skeleton’s ankles, screeching in rage when she kept narrowly missing her target. After several failed attempts to maul San’s limbs, the vicious bird wheeled around to dash towards the child, jumping awkwardly as she ran. Several hops later and she was airborne, glittering claws stretching forward. The wail turned into panicked squeaks as the fowl drew closer, foliage shaking as something scurried backwards. Sans let out a gasp as he finally spotted the child.

She was nothing more than a tiny ball of black and brown fur huddling in the grass near a ledge, barely discernable from her surroundings. She could have run at any time, yet the kid was obviously too scared to save herself and too reluctant to leave her late mother. Loudly hyperventilating as the Pidgey grew closer, she began uttering a serious of shrill plaintive cries.

Her voice, Sans noticed, was also slightly metallic.

[ ** _MOOOOMMYY! MOOOOMMYY! MOOOOMMYY!]_**

 In one swift motion; the monster swept his partner back into his hood, swung his arm back, and whipped the rock straight towards the vicious bird. There was a solid THWACK as stone met flesh, eliciting a squawk of alarm as she fell to the ground. Bullseye!

Thrashing, the Pidgey sent up a cloud of dust and feathers from the ground before getting back to her feet. With a wrathful squeal, she raked up globs of bloodied mud and grass, eyes trained on her helpless quarry. The young Pokémon stopped screaming, shrinking against the ledge with a mournful whimper as her attacker loomed near.

Oh no you don’t, lady!

Fingers pressed against his teeth, Sans let loose a shrill whistle and bellowed,

“HEY! BIRDBRAIN! OVER HERE!”

The bird froze, wings gently drawing to her sides. Head slowly twisting like an owl’s in the skeleton’s direction, one eye focused on him.

{ArEYou SPEaKingTo MeInTHat ManNER LIttLEChiCK?} She hissed threateningly.

“That’s right, I’m talkin to _you_ , ya disgusting pile of bird shit! What, you afraid to take on someone _bigger_ than ya?” Sans taunted, holding his breath as a deep growl sounded within the creature’s throat. With deliberate slowness, she began stalking towards him, her predatory gaze firmly locked with his once again. Stopping only three feet away, the barbed beak opened with a hiss, the feathered face murderous.

{HOwDARE YOU, PaTHETICNESTLING! ILLRIP YoURARCEUS DAMN MOUTHOFF!}

“Riiiiight. Because attacking me earlier worked out so well for you. Good one snaggle-beak!” The skeleton tensed, watching with wary eye sockets as Pidgey snarled and began beating her wings. Okay…She was starting to seriously look pissed off and was no longer focusing on the kid. More than likely she was going to try to kill him. Best course of action? Dodge, grab kid, probably dodge again, hightail towards Cherrygrove, dodge, dodge, dodge, get inside a building, and hope like hell that murder bird did not follow afterwards.

Heh, that was laughable. Sans was positive she was probably going to shadow him and Cyndaquil until they were alone. And while this posed no serious risk to the skeleton, his partner was a completely different story. Especially if they they somehow get separated. His best bet would be to contact Elm and tell him what was going on. Maybe set up some kind of trap and-

[Y-you h-h-have been very brave S-Sans, but i-it is my job to p-protect you!] A trembling voice announced, catching both monster and bird off guard. Tiny paws scrambled onto his shoulder, a small furry body pressing against the side of his head. Sans blinked, glowing eyes growing wide with concern as Cyndaquil stood tall on his hind legs, small puffs of steam hissing along his furry back. What was he doing?

[H-how dare you threaten my trainer! And harm those poor innocent Pokémon! You horrible…harpy!!! I will make sure you never harm another living soul ever again!] Chest heaving, the fiery hedgehog sucked in a huge breath and reared back, mouth opening and throat beginning to glow a faint reddish orange. The steam on his back grew thicker, specks of heat sparkling along his raised hackles. Heat wafted between the tiny fangs as, with a sizzling growl, Cyndaquil exhaled sharply, releasing a large searing burst of…

…smoke.

For a moment there was silence as the hazy black vapor gusted over the shocked Pidgey, coating her in faintly steaming ash. Beak gaped, her bulging crimson eyes widened with astonishment. Sans heard his partner gulp with fright, furry body shaking violently as he shrank against the monster’s neck.

[U-um...I…Um…]

_**{SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!}** _

One moment she was flapping her wings, and the next she was barreling towards the now panicking hedgehog. His partner cried out in fear, hiding his face in his paws as savage claws stretched towards him.

“No!”  Sans jumped backwards, hand lifting in the attempt to ward off the oncoming bird, when a strangely recognizable pulse of energy stirred sleepily within his core. Sparks began to tickle gently up his spine, a slowly spreading warmth curling within his sockets with something akin to a sigh, before suddenly becoming alert at the sight of the foe. Time seemed to freeze as Magic, both comforting and painful, surged through the skeleton’s body, causing his splayed phalanges to tingle and left eye to flare cyan and gold. The monster felt as though a damn had burst inside of him, releasing a never ending flood that gushed and gushed until his soul felt ready to explode. All this power hurt.  And yet, the ache was a wonderful feeling. Bittersweet and relieving. Like the return of an old friend.

He felt the Magic leap from his fingers with an eager crackle, wrapping tightly around Pidgey’s soul with a faint _*ding*_. To the trio’s astonishment, the bird was frozen in midair, a heart shaped object glowing bright cyan in her chest. Clearly bewildered, the flying type experimentally flapped her wings, murmuring questioningly when she did not move. Sans was confused as well, pseudo-brows furrowed as he studied the now hovering creature. Somehow he was messing with the gravitational pull on her soul. Lift his hand one way, the soul followed. Lifted the other way…yup still followed. Up. Down. Diagonal. Loop the loop. This was weird! How was he doing this?

_“You’re blue now! That’s my attack!”_

Oh….OH! Blue attack! He was using his blue attack! Which meeeeeeaaaant-

Sans aggressively swung his arm down, slamming the writhing Pokémonstrocity flat on her back. Ha! Take that bird! There was a squawk of alarm as Pidgey was pinned, blinking up at the sky in shock before shouting cruel threats at the grinning monster. Yeah, yeah lady. Heard it all before. _Break his wings. Snap his beak. Pluck him bald. Gonna eat ya, little chick. Yakety-yakety-yak._ Whatever! The flying type began fighting against the foreign grip on her body, beak open in a feral hiss. Pffft. There was no way she could break-

To his surprise, she managed to shake off his Magic and get to her feet. With a wild cackle, she once again launched herself at the duo. What? No way! Pouring more energy into his attack, he once again pinned her to the ground, teeth clenched tightly as he fought to keep her in place. Another fierce struggle. She was up. Sans pinned her down.

Up. More energy. Down. Up. Even more energy. Down. UP. EVEN MORE ENERGY!

“ **S t a y. D o w n**.” Sweat beaded the skeleton’s brow, body strained and shaking violently. God, she was strong! How in the world did she keep getting up? And was…was she seriously draining his magic?

Sure enough, his normally vast mana energy was rapidly depleting. Sans began wheezing, sockets wide with fear as he grew steadily weaker and weaker. Was this because he had somehow forgotten he could use the blue attack? Lack of use, perhaps? Eh…maybe. Whatever the case, he was losing energy, and fast.  At some point he was going to end up passing out from exhaustion. Which meant skeleton, Cyndaquil, and kid were going to be seriously dead meat. Damn…Damn. Damn! DAMN! Chest heaving, Sans flinched as soft whimpers reached his nonexistent ears, glowing blue orb darting around frantically before settling on trembling ball of brown fluff in the distance. Had. To. Get. The. Kid. Had. To. Escape. But how? HOW?

[S-sans? H-how are you doing this! This is-…Are…you okay? You do not look well…] The skeleton flinched at the shocked concern in the hedgehog’s voice, eyes momentarily flicking to gaze at the furry face apologetically. Heh, well this was going to be fun to explain: _'Hey, buddy. Sorry to totally freak you out, but I can do Magic! Just totally forgot I could for whatever reason, but hey! It’s all good now right?'_

…Yeah somehow he doubted that would be a sufficient explanation. There was some serious answering that he would have to do later. Well. Maybe. If they came out of this unscathed. Sans was just about at the end of his rope holding the psycho bird down and if he did not think of some way to-

The idea came to him as suddenly as his Magic had, making the skeleton want to smack himself. Cyndaquil! Why had he not thought of this beforehand? If his partner could safely get to the girl, Sans would be able to distract murder bird over here and give them both enough time to run to Cherrygrove. Or at least get a good head start. Then when he was absolutely certain they were safe, he could follow. He was really good at dodging after all, so there was no question about escaping.

Yes, this could actually work!

“H-hey, buddy.” Sans whispered, breath coming out in ragged gasps. “Real * _Pant Pant_ * real random question h-here…How- _*Wheeze*_ …How close are we to the next town?”

[W-what?] Cyndaquil tilted his head, regarding the taller with confusion. [Town? Why do you ne-]

“Bud...Y-ya gotta work with me here, okay? Do- _*Cough*_ Ugh… _*Gasp*_ …d-do you know how far the next town is?”

[I…uh…J-Just past this grass actually-]

“You know the fas-fastest way to get there?”

[I-I…yes but-]

“Great…g-great. Listen. I… _*Pant…Pant*_ I-I can’t move too much right now. Not without releasing Feathers over here. But I got a plan.” Very slowly, Sans knelt to one knee, soul pounding as the Pidgey gave a sudden wrench, nearly breaking from his magical grasp. Phalanges splayed, the monster waited a few moments, before sighing in relief as he regained control once more. Way too close…Swallowing heavily, he resumed speaking.

 “Alright, h-here’s what I need you to do. _*Pant Pant*_ The kiddo’s by that ledge, over there.” The skeleton inclined his head in the direction of the child. “You-you see her?”

[Yes…I…I see her.] His Cyndaquil replied softly, [What’s your plan?]

“R-right. Right. So. Very, very _quietly…_ climb down my back and while I’m holding down the Pidgey yo- _*COUGH…Pant*_ Bleh…you get to the kid. Convince her that you’re not gonna hurt her, yeah? Then you two get outta here. Take her to the next town and-”

[ _What!]_ He was startled when a pair of paws gripped tightly to his shoulder. [You mean just…just leave you here? At the mercy of this...this…thing!?  Sans, as your Pokémon partner, I do not feel comfortable leaving you by yourself. She will kill you!]

“B-buddy. Pal. I’ll be ok. I can hold her down and once you two-“

[No you will not be ok! Look at you! You struggling just to breathe!]

“I can handle this! Just-“

[It is my _job_ to protect you from other Pokémon, Sans. Scary or not. I will not just-]

“ _Listen to me._ ” Sans struggled to keep still, fully conscious that if he gave even the slightest bit of slack the vicious bird would be on them before they could blink. Breathing heavily, he hissed at his Pokémon between tightly clenched teeth. “W-while we’re sittin’ here bickerin’, _*Coughcough…pant*_ t-that little kid is laying there scared a-and alone. Her mother just got killed. She h-has nobody. And to top it all off _*COUGHCOUGHCOUGH*_ she…she’s hurt. I don’t care what this _bitch_ tries to do to me so long as you. _Get. To. The. Kid._ Alright?”

Cyndaquil let out a shaky breath, voice almost tearful. [I cannot call myself your partner if I let anything happen to you-]

“I’ll be alright I…I promise. _*Pant…pant*_ The worst that can happen is she tries to hit me, and I’m real good at dodging.” A wry smile crossed the skeleton’s face as the hedgehog pressed a paw against his cheek, ruby eyes wide with worry. “Just…just trust me, yeah? Please…I really think t-this is gonna work. _*Pantpant…wheeze*_ Y-you get to the kiddo and make a break for the town. I’ll buy you guys some time, then follow. Now, go ahead and climb down. Quickly.” With a sniffle, the hedgehog clambered down his trainer’s back and landed silently on the ground. A mournful stare was cast at the skeleton, eliciting a comforting grin and encouraging nod. Sans watched as Cyndaquil tentatively crept towards the ledge, before turning to stare at the bird.

Thankfully Pidgey was too distracted to notice, still confused and angry at her imprisonment. She paid no attention as the other Pokémon sidled past her, screaming angrily at the monster as she lashed out with her feet. Despite the gravity of the situation, ( _Pfff gravity)_ , Sans could not help but snicker at her attempts. The bird looked as though she were throwing a temper tantrum, claws pin-wheeling uselessly in the air and wings beating angrily beating the ground. Pffffft, heheheheheheh _COUGHCOUGHCOUGH!_ Okay. Okay. That was not a good idea. Bleh. Focus on keeping her pinned. Just had to last a little longer, and they would all be home free.

 Ugh, he was having such a hard time breathing though. This bird was costing some serious energy. Gulping, the skeleton attempted to calm himself and regulate his breathing. Deep breaths. Nice and slow. In. Out. In. Out. Iiiiin. Ooooout.

Phew. Okay. A little better. Sans still felt like he had ran a mile or two, but at least he was not shaking anymore. And holding her was just a smidge more tolerable. Alright. How close was Cyndaquil now?

A quick glance confirmed his partner was almost there, practically within touching distance of the younger Pokémon. Great! And Feathers was still stuck on the ground. Boy, she looked pissed. Heh. Served the little brute right. As soon as this whole mess was over, and the other two were safe he was definitely contacting the Professor and getting her locked up somewhere. Maybe he would even go one step further and bring-

[Wait, do not be frightened! I am not here to-]

[NO! NONONONONO! I’M SORRY! DON’T HURT ME ANYMORE! PLEASE! _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!_ ]

The shrill scream startled Sans, causing the monster to flinch and his magic to momentarily sputter. Damn! With a cry, he quickly reached forward to re-snare the Pidgey’s soul.

Too late.

Cackling, she took flight and launched towards the two smaller Pokémon with a gleeful squeal. Both child and Cyndaquil screamed, and Sans watched with horrified sockets as they huddled fearfully against the ledge, too frightened to move. No. No he was too far away! HE WAS TOO FAR AWAY! Desperately, the skeleton ran forward, blinking with surprise as he felt a sudden tug on his soul. Something shifted, and he watched a ghostly image of himself huddled down in front of the duo, arms wrapped protectively around them. …shortcut? Tentatively he reached with his Magic, vision going black as he was pulled through a vast void. Light suddenly blinded him, causing the monster to fall ungracefully to his knees.

Right in front of his partner and the kid.

There were gasps of surprise as he drew them into a hug, smile wide and relieved. He had gotten to them on time! The feeling was short-lived, however, as razor sharp talons suddenly raked against his shoulder and back, easily cutting past the soft material of his hoodie and slicing bone. Something hot dripped from the stinging cuts, staining the blue cloth a red. Growling, Sans swung an arm, stunned as several bones were conjured in midair and sent spiraling towards the startled Pidgey.

Ah yes. Now he remembered. The good old Bone Attack.

 His aim was excellent and she was knocked backwards, tumbling head over claw, before landing with a grunt of pain on her back. Beak opening with a shriek, murky red eyes glared hatefully at the skeleton as she made promises of a slow, torturous death.

 [S-Sans! Oh no, you…you are bleeding! I…She…I let her…hurt you…] A soft muzzle pressed against his torn shoulder, briefly distracting the monster from their adversary. With a hiss of pain, Sans gingerly pulled away, one hand clenching tightly to the wound.

“N-not your fault bud.” He whispered reassuringly, wincing as a prickling sting raced down his arm. Ugh, that was totally gonna leave a mark. Damn bird.

There was no time to feel sorry for himself though. The fight was not quite over yet. He could hear their adversary stomping towards them, raring for another round. Sans braced himself, hand raised and Magic ready to strike. Before he could move, however, something scurried from beneath his hunched body and raced towards the astonished Pidgey. To the monster’s surprise, his partner was barreling towards the deranged flying type, chattering angrily.

“Hey! Wait!”

[ _You_! You hurt my trainer! You wicked, horrible, nasty, evil-] A roaring shriek caused the Cyndaquil to skid to a stop, crouching uneasily to the ground. For a moment, the two Pokémon simply stared at one another, one haughty and the other scared, before the hedgehog raised a shaky paw in her direction. Casting a quick look at Sans, he opened his mouth once more, smoke curling gently from the quivering nostrils.

[T-take this!]

_*PFFFT!*_

Bulbous eyes blinked as another soft, sparkling ball of gray ghosted across the feathered face, one brow quirking in mild amusement. Sans winced as the flying type exhaled sarcastically, blowing away the misting vapors with ease. Murphy’s law much?

 [Oh no! That is the umpteenth time, UGH! Why can I not do it! Why can-] The hedgehog let out a squeal of angry dismay, stomping a foot on the ground, then paused as a wicked smile crossed Pidgey’s bloodied beak. Wringing his front paws with a gulp, he uttered a weak [U-um.], flinching as she snickered.

{OHDeAR, IDid hURT BabyBird DiDN’t I? AndYEt thEOnlyProTECTER heHaS is A. TinY. WeAK. WORM! HoWSAD!} In one swift movement, a wing smacked lightly against the fire type’s snout, causing him to jump with an undignified squeak, before the tiny Pokémon scrambled backwards. The bird began laughing cruelly, as her ‘foe’ darted into Sans’s waiting arms.

[S-sans…I-I…I am so sorry…] He whispered, pressing his face against the broad chest in shame. [I-I let you down…]

“No ya didn’t buddy. That was real brave.” The skeleton stroked the tiny creature reassuringly, before shooting a resentful glare at the approaching Pidgey. He might have to try a Blue Attack again. Maybe this time the others could get away. With a hefty sigh, Sans felt his eye flicker, raising one hand. A soft coo gave him pause, and he turned his head.

The Poke’child had sidled to his leg and was currently staring up at him, cringing timidly under his glowing eyes. She appeared to be a mix of rabbit and raccoon, with fur a multitude of creams and browns. Long, floppy ears laced behind her head, chocolate nose quivering anxiously. A long striped tail curled around her body, delicate paws gripping tight to the thick fluff. Her right eye, glowing an ominous scarlet, was filled with tears. The other…

He sucked in a breath, phalanges reaching out to gingerly cup her face. The left eye was completely swollen shut, a buttery discharge dripping down the puffy cheek. Dark patches of dried blood circled the damaged area, a trickle of red oozing from beneath the crust. There was little doubt she would be blind in that eye.

That was not the only wound she had, however. Sans discovered multiple gashes on her body, including one long diagonal slice across her chest. Tufts of fur had been roughly pulled out, leaving bare patches of bruised pink.

“God…you poor kid…” Soul aching, the skeleton’s right arm encircled the young Pokémon, drawing her against him protectively as well. Skeletal fingers gently stroked the top of her head and along her ears as Sans tried to show her that he meant no harm. For a moment she appeared bewildered, nose brushing against his palm to hesitantly sniff. Relief crossed her face as she buried into his hoodie and burst into grateful sobs.

{YouWillaLL DIE!PatheTICGrovELIng WORMS! STaRTING WithYoU BabyBird!}The laughter grew louder but the monster did not reply, sockets trained on the frightened twosome in his arms. As he watched them press fearfully against his chest, he once again felt fraternal rage boil in his chest, the need to protect breaking away the last chains from his Magic.  

This had gone too far. What was supposed to be a really simple walk towards his neighbor’s friend’s house had turned into a big mess and he had not even gotten halfway! He was seething at the cruel treatment of his Pokémon partner and felt heartbroken that this kid, who reminded him so much of his brother, had lost her mom and was all alone. This egotistical bag of pillow stuffing really thought she was going to give them a bad time? Oh hell no.

Sans. Was. _Pissed_.  No more playing games. No more escape plans. No more. Mr. Nice. Guy. Murder bird needed to leave. Now.

And he knew exactly how he was going to make her.

“Buddy. In my hood.” Cyndaquil gave him a baffled look, ruby eyes wide. For a moment he attempted to argue.

[S-sans I should-]

“I got this bucko, don’t you worry. Go on.” Face stricken, the fire type reluctantly climbed over the monster’s shoulder, snuggling with a sniff against his trainer’s neck. Knowing his partner was much safer, Sans cradled the child in one arm, thumb gingerly brushing the tears from her right eye.

“You’re safe now sweetheart. You join my buddy in my hood and soon as I take care of Feathers over here, we’ll go get you all fixed up, yeah?” Hiccupping, she wrapped her paws around the skeletal wrist and hugged tightly, giving him an adoring smile. Sans smiled back, giving her paw a squeeze, before helping her into his hood. Her fuzzy nose nuzzled the back of his skull, before she curled next to Cyndaquil. He noted with mild puzzlement that her uninjured eye no longer appeared red, and was now a shimmering caramel color. Huh. Weird. But that could be looked into later.

Right now he had some garbage to take out.

Mouth set, the skeleton slowly got to his feet, turning to regard the approaching Pidgey coolly. She let loose a cackling shriek, plumage puffing and crest high as she darted towards him, only to skid to a halt as a line of bones shot up from the ground. A huff and vicious glare was directed towards the monster, barbed beak open in a threatening snarl.

“Shut your mouth bird. Before I shove a bone down your throat.” The cold tone in his voice gave the Pokémonstrocity pause, feathered brow lifting as the skeleton slipped his hands into his pockets with a tired sigh. Tilting his head, Sans stared back at her with darkened sockets.

“Now, I’m only gonna say this once. Cause to be honest, I don’t like repeatin’ myself. I’m gonna summon an Attack. And I’m only gonna give you until the count of three to get the hell outta here before I kill you. Capiche?” With a scornful laugh, the bird settled on the ground and smiled at him mockingly.

{Shall EnjOYPeCKing OuTYouR TonGUe InSOlEntChiCK. ButIShALL huMorYoU. GoAhead. TryToKiLLME!}

“… **Heh. Heh. Heh. Heh. Heh**. Welp. That’s your choice Feathers. Just don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” Quick as a whip, the monster lifted his left hand, matching eye burning with magical energy. The flying type’s eyes followed his fingers, trilling in confusion as the surrounding area began to darken. Ten seconds later and she was staring above his head, beak slack and pupils pinning rapidly as a large animal-like skull began to materialize. The weapon seemed to grin at her, sharing the razor sharp smile of its summoner, before the draconian mouth opened wide. Sans’s Gaster Blaster began to charge, light gathering into the massive maw and pointing directly at the now frightened Pidgey.

**_bbbbBBOOOOOOOOOOIIIIINNNNNNCCHIIIIIINNNN!_ **

“One.” The bird took a hesitant step back, feathers ruffling uneasily. She appeared indecisive, and the angry skeleton briefly entertained the idea of shooting her right there and then. Ah well. He would keep to his word. He did not really want to kill her anyway. He was no murderer.

“Two.” With a conflicted warble, Pidgey began walking in small circles, bulbous red eyes glaring balefully at her unapproachable prey. Was she seriously going to just stand there!? God, she was seriously pissing him off! Opening his own mouth, Sans bared sharp teeth in a vicious snarl, his voice coming out in an enraged growl.

“ **T H R E E.** ” Before he could fire, she was airborne, squealing in fear and frantically flapping her wings in the attempt to get as far away as possible. A sense of relief overtook the monster as the avian figure become nothing but a tiny dot in the sky. With a grateful sigh, he dismissed the Blaster before slumping in exhaustion. Rubbing absentmindedly at his injured shoulder, Sans allowed himself a soft smile.

[S-Sans…] Came a tiny whisper, paws prodding gingerly at his vertebrae. The skeleton looked over his shoulder, glowing orbs meeting three very wide and shocked eyes. For a moment he was confused, looking behind him to see if the Pidgey had somehow returned, before realizing that they were actually staring at him. Oh… An embarrassed chuckle escaped from his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his skull as his eyes flickered between the both of them. Oh yeah…there was still that little problem of explaining his totally off the wall abilities wasn’t there? Maybe he should have explained first instead of totally freaking out the people he was trying to protect. Whoops…

With a gulp, he shrugged awkwardly, grin stretching wide as he tried to alleviate the tension.

“Uuuuh…Tadaaa!” And cue jazz hands.

…nothing?

…not even a smirk?

…Damn. Tough crowd…

 “…yeah…okay, I probably should have warned ya first. Sorry…” Scratching the back of his skull, he offered an apologetic grin and was rather relieved when they both tried to smile back. Sure they still looked a bit…uncomfortable. But that was to be expected right?

“So um… _*Ahem*_ Moving right along. It’s time to get you” Here he pointed at the girl. “To a…Pokedoctor? Pokehealer?...Poke…Poke…Pokesomething. Heh...heh…Heheheheh…um help me out here buddy. There’s still a lot to this trainer thing I don’t really know.”

[Poke’Center] Came the terse reply, ruby eyes staring with an inscrutable expression. Sans’s grin slipped slightly, mingling hurt and guilt blooming within his chest. Uh oh…

 “Uh…right. Thanks buddo… Let’s-uh…let’s get going, yeah?” The fire type nodded, glancing at the claw inflicted wounds on his trainer before curling against the base of Sans’s skull, eyes shut tight. Feeling unhappy, the monster reached out to gingerly stroke the striped head, sockets drooping with disappointment when he failed to elicit a reaction. Oh man…He had probably really messed things up with his buddy…

Well…on the somewhat bright side the kiddo was alive. Traumatized, injured, and without a parent…but…she would eventually heal. He hoped...With one last glance at the unresponsive hedgehog, Sans sighed and slid his hands into his pockets before walking towards town.

The skeleton had only taken ten steps when something furry crawled over his shoulder and tumbled forward. He easily caught the wiggling ball of fluff in his arms, blinking as a caramel iris stared up at him with mingling fear and awe.

 “Aw come on kiddo, not you too…” Sans whispered softly, shoulders slumped. He was not a scary guy, and there was no way would ever hurt her. Could she not see that? Phalanges slowly caressed the trembling ears as the monster tenderly drew the girl to his chest, trying to radiate as much brotherly affection as he could. For a moment the little raccoon rabbit did not respond, leaving Sans with a steadily building sense of guilt until she leaned forward to examine his injured shoulder. To his surprise, she ran a paw softly across the gashes in his bone, face scrunched with sorrow and making concerned noises. Caramel met glowing white, and she reached up to pat his face sadly. With a start, the monster realized that she was trying to comfort him just as he did with her earlier. The thought made his sockets crinkle, eyes shining like stars and smile delighted.

Awwww…what a sweetheart. Letting out a soft rumbling chuckle, the trainer watched as she settled against his chest, snuggling in his embrace with a grateful hum and wrapping her paws around his neck. All too soon, she was fast asleep, smiling contentedly.

 Sans walked carefully as he headed towards Cherrygrove, not wanting to wake up his two passengers. He felt a little better. Sure there was still things to worry about. Fixing up the kiddo. Finding her a place to live. Getting a hold of Professor Elm so that evil murder bird could be captured. And of course this…whatever this was that had happened between him and Cyndaquil… Hopefully the hedgehog would understand. He was a real swell little guy after all.

The skeleton sighed wearily. There was just so much to do…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, things escalated quickly there. Huh, Sans? No worries though, things can only look up from here! ...right?  
> Current Pokemon:  
> 1\. Cyndaquil-Male-Lvl. 5-Lonely Nature

**Author's Note:**

> If you are reading this right now, thank you for giving my story a chance. I promise it won't be cracky like my tags make it seem. XD Being as obsessed with Undertale as I am I was in the beginning of a SoulSilver Nuzlocke and named my trainer Sans just for the fun of it. That's when I begin to wonder what he would actually do if he was in a Nuzlocke and thus this story was born! It's gonna be a long one, whoo! I appreciate any and all feedback so I can make it even better!


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